So, about that new post...

Dan and I have spent the last two days visiting family and friends back in NY (where we still are). I had every intention of blogging, I promise!

But here's a little mathemtical formula that explains why I haven't.

1) Dan x the square root of (zeal to get to NY as early as possible) plus Brande's [insomnia] = going to bed at 1:30am and waking up at 5:15am.

2) Brande finishing her packing at 5:20am x brain fog (+ fatigue) = this conversation with self:

"Hmm... should I bring my laptop?
Nah, it's really heavy.
But I might need it.
You won't need it.
Are you sure?
Yeah! Afterall, this trip is about spending time with family. If you bring that you'll just end up sitting at the kitchen table surfing the web and ignoring your family. You don't want to do that, do you?
No.
Exactly. Besides, it's really heavy."

So I left the laptop at home. Not a good decision. All of my photos and settings and bookmarks and everything useful for life is on it. Ugh! I even brought my camera with me thinking I might take a few pictures to share. Then I realized that I left the uploading cable at home. And it's been nothing but rainy and dreary since we got here.

So I hope you'll forgive me for neglecting you! I'll be back to posting very soon and I believe it's about time that I give you another edition of Traveler's Resources, no?

With (neglectful) Love,
~Brande N.

This is Why I Make the Pancakes

I am not athletic. Or coordinated. I never have been. In fact, when I was 10 years old, my two-year old little brother could whoop my butt at Super Mario. That's how bad my hand-eye coordination is.

While many of my high-school friends were twirling and tossing banners in Winterguard, teaching the cast of the musical how to tap dance, or playing marimba in state-level band competitions I was reading Shakespeare, doing research papers, and performing in non-musical plays.

(Notice how these are activities that have minimal risk of tripping.)

In the grand scheme of things, I'm perfectly happy so long as I'm coordinated enough to pick up a book, turn a page and type a sentence. I might not be able to kick a soccer ball [without falling] but I can speak in Elizabethan dialect. And for me, that's far more fun that scoring a goal (yup, I'm weird).

On that note: When Dan and I started here it was sort of an accepted fact that I was going to be the cook. After all, I've always been the one to cook during our marriage and I've whipped up some pretty mean recipes, so it only makes sense, right?

It did, until I found out that this is how we make omelets:



If I had done that, the omelet would have landed about two-and-a-half feet to the left of the pan instead of inside it.

That's why he's the egg guy and I'm the pancake girl. We're a great team.

With Love,
~Brande N.

I Feel Your Pain, Little Guy...

This is the mug Dan got me for Christmas. When I gave him my Chiristmas list, my demands were as follows:
-Must be handmade
-Prefferably from Etsy
-Must be unique or quirky in some way
-Must be able to hold at least 14oz of liquid
-Must have a lid

All things considered, Dan got me a pretty a awesome mug. But I do need a lid. You see, one of the very first things I learned about being an innkeeper is that you should never expect to have a hot meal or drink between 1pm and 7pm. At least not if you're me. I have the absolute worst luck. I'll make soup and a sandwich or pour a cup of coffee or even just microwave a burrito and invariably, the second I sit down to eat, I'll get a check-in, a walk-in, a complicated 20 minute phone call, or some other crisis. Cold coffee and a a soggy, room-temperature grilled cheese do not a good meal make. Bleh.

So I set out to find a lid. I contacted the potter that made my mug, and she said that it would cost $10 plus shipping to make it and she couldn't guarantee it would fit. Bleh. I contacted another potter to see if he had a better price. Nope. He blatantly refused to do it, stating that it was too difficult.

So I decided to look for a universal lid. Something that I could just throw over my mug to give the coffee another 10 or 15 minutes of life, even if it didn't fit perfectly or match the mug.

And I found it! This fantastic, affordable, quirky website had a silicone (which I believe is a biodegradable material, but am currently researching) lid that was made to fit all mug sizes, was air tight, and was only $4! Yay! After finding that, I decided I might as well grab something else to offset the $6 shipping. I found this great little travel size metal spoon/fork/chopstick set. What a great way to avoid plastic utensils when dining on the road! And it was only $6! What a deal!

I submitted the transaction and waited for my beautiful, ecological, awesome, earth-friendly goodies to come. And I waited. And waited. And waited. Two and a half weeks later, I started to worry that I had been scammed. So I went to the website and hit the FAQ.

Ugh. Turns out that my wonderfully inexpensive, quirky online store was in Hong Kong. And my "beautiful, ecological, awesome, earth-friendly goodies" were being flown to the United States via air mail. I may as well have just poked a hole in the ozone layer myself! Ahh!

A week later, my package arrived:
And of course, it was in a plastic bubble envelope and not a cardboard box. *Sigh*

But there was good news! First of all, the utensil set was/is amazing and has already gotten used several times. And the lid? Fits like a glove. Totally air-tight and keeps my coffee toasty. Best of all, it perfectly reflects the way I felt about this whole messy transaction:
(Yes, that's right, there is a tiny, angry little man on my lid. He's actually the handle. Awesome.)

With Love,
~Brande N.

The Order That Will Live in Infamy

(If you're a dork like me and like to analyze handwriting, click to enlarge)

Believe it or not, this is an order for one table. A table of four, I give you, but still! It was so big and complicated that I had to separate it into two courses and bring them out separately.

You'll notice on the last ticket (which is the entrees, the middle one is the "fruit and sides" course) that my handwriting was suddenly not all that horrendous. That's because it's poor Dan's ticket and he has to read it, so I always transcribe my scribbles for him. If I didn't do that, I'm sure a "tomato, basil, bacon, and manchego" omelet would come out something like "Onion, walnut, berries, and mushroom" Which is significantly less delicious...

...unless you're pregnant, in which case it might be exactly what you wanted.

With Love,
~Brande N.

Regarding Large Pancakes and Bad Diners

Yesterday, Dan and I went out to breakfast. If we aren't cooking it ourselves or eating at Haven, we're every bit in love with Sylvester's in Northampton. Did you happen to click that link? You should, because no one can fully understand the glory that is Sylvester's without at least looking at their menu. Huevos rancheros, eggs benedict, ham-apple-chevre omelet, banana bread french toast, homemade corned beef hash... it's too much! And that's just breakfast. They do lunch, too!

But we eat at Sylvester's A LOT. And my greatest fear is eating there so much that we grow to hate it. How sad would that be? So Dan and I decided to go to a new place, about 20 minutes past Northampton, for breakfast. It offered locally sourced and organic ingredients, had an interesting menu (French meat pie, anyone?) and seemed quirky and fun.

It wasn't. Ugh! This place was in the middle of nowhere, we got lost, had to turn around twice, it was humid and musty in the dining room, and the food ended up being pretty much bad. What a disappointment.

I have always been an optimist, however. So out of the pile of burnt homefries, microwaved turkey sausage, and cold pancakes I found something precious. A blog topic. I give you:

The World's Most Atrociously Large Pancakes:

Now at first glance, they might not seem that big. But that's a butter knife on the left there. This pancake was at least one-and-a-half butter knives in diameter and almost an inch thick. And there were two of them. You can barely see the second one peeking out from the monstrosity on top of it.

When Dan ordered "two blueberry pancakes, please", the waitress asked him if he'd like one instead, "They're plate sized, you know".
"Nah, I'll take two." he says. Because he had been craving pancakes. Really craving them.
"Alright," says the waitress, "But I rarely see any man finish two."
And then, the eavesdropping gentleman across the room joins in and says, "That sounds like a challenge!"

What man can stand up to that kind of pressure? Dan couldn't. The sleeping gladiator in him awoke and attacked those pancakes with fire and zeal. He suffered and perservered but, after eating about two-thirds of he mess, he was beaten. And a little bloated and kind of drowsy.

That was breakfast. you know where we went to dinner? Roberto's. A sister restaurant to Sylvester's. And it was delicious.

The lesson of the day? Sometimes it's a good idea to just stick with what works!

With Love,
~Brande N.

Goosberries

Dan has always been much braver than me when it comes to trying new/strange/ethnic/uncommon foods. First to try sushi? Dan. Curry? Dan. Kombucha? Dan. Hemp anything? Dan. He's just not afraid of having his palette assaulted like I am.

Well, last night at the grocery store we saw a reasonably priced package of fresh Cape Gooseberries. Were they in season? I haven't the foggiest. But it was weird, it was inexpensive, and we were feeling adventurous. So we got it.

Back at home, Dan was of course the one anxious to open the package and tear into one of these odd little fruits. Tradition dictates that when ever we try a new food, Dan takes the first bite while I observe the odd and scrunchy faces he makes, which determines whether I will be following suit.

He peels open the husk revealing what looks like a tiny yellow tomato and pops the whole thing in his mouth, chewing slowly. A hilarious series of grimaces, twitches, and nose scrunching followed the first crunch noise. After chewing the whole thing (with more crunching noises) and successfully swallowing it, Dan looks at me and says: "It's like a raspberry that tastes like flower petals. And it's aftertaste is like cucumber and celery..."

Needless to say, I didn't follow suit.


With Love,
~Brande N.

New Years Eve Part II

Thank you for tuning into our second installment of "New Year's Eve at The Garden Gables Inn"! Please turn off all cell phones, beepers, and baby monitors. Enjoy the show!

Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus. Yum!

Surf 'n' Turf anyone? Oh wait, Dan has brought to my attention that HE cut the lemon crown, and would like everyone to be aware of that. Way to go, honey! I'm proud of you. (Prior to innkeeping, Dan's cooking skills were limited to microwaves and protein bars, so this is a big step!)

A lovely piece of freshly seared Filet Mignon.

Grilled Salmon with Beurre Blanc and roasted potatoes.

This decanter has a great story behind it. There is this very nice couple that comes up every summer and stays with us for about a week. They decided to stay during our New Year's Package this year, and they brought some friends along as well. One of their friends had given this couple a bottle of 1963 Port 20 years prior and they had kept it. So they welcomed the new year by opening this 45 year old bottle and sharing it with friends. How neat is that?

This is only moments before the ball dropped, all of us flocked into the Guest Pantry to watch the ceremony. In the rush of congregating around the TV, trying to remain unobtrusive, and trying to still get pictures, I got this one which I find amusing because, yes, that is Dan's chin. The picture is even better if you click and see the full-sized version.

There are only seconds left in 2008!

And here are the first embraces of 2009! (and a kiss too, how sweet!)

And what better way to recover from a night of champagne, staying up late, and laughing until your stomach hurts than with a big, hearty breakfast? Oven roasted potatoes, anyone?

How about some steak and eggs with those potatoes? And maybe a mimosa, too?

And if steak and eggs isn't your thing, how about an omelet with a rainbow of fillings? And the best part: omelets aren't just for New Years, you can get them anytime!

With Love and Sudden Hunger,
~Brande N.

DISCLAIMER:
Brande N. and The Garden Gables Inn are not responsible for any broken New Year's resolutions including but not limited to: no more meat, no more red meat, no more junk food, dining out less, or losing weight. Thank you.

New Years Eve Part I

So I've told you a little bit about our New Years Package, and you probably read about it on our website, but I'm sure you're just dying to actually see it, huh? Well lucky for you I took A LOT of pictures. Thursday's post was just an appetizer, this will be your first course, and I'll post the entree on Monday. So, without further adieu: the photos!


Tart Cherry and Pistachio Tea Cookies. I actually made some of these for John and his family for Christmas and he asked me to make them again for New Years. They're incredibly easy and look impressive. Definitely one of my favorite recipes. You want to know the best part? You can swap any fruit and nut combo for the cherries and pistachioes. I'm thinking about mango and macadamia for my next batch...

This picture is only mildly relevant to New Years. You see, when we decorated the tables, we had all of these leftover fresh flowers that were jut going to get thrown out. And these roses were so pretty that I just couldn't stand to see them go into the wastebasket. So I cut the stems short, added a few pieces of stray greenery, and threw them in a crystal wineglass. In no way am I a florist, but I think this turned out pretty nice.

A picture of one of our tables once it was all decorated. Kelly, our head waitstaffer, designed and decorated each table herself and did an excellent job. Thanks, Kelly!


A bit of our decor in the dining room.

Champagne glasses, poised and ready for the midnight toast!

A fully set, fully decorated table. Seriously Kelly, you rock!


This is Dan chopping some fresh parsley for garnish. Aren't fresh herbs lovely?

One of our two Salad options for the big dinner: Caprese. This picture was taken before it was drizzled with EVOO (can you tell I watch 30-Minute Meals?), but I think its deliciousness is still quite evident.


Our second Salad option. Organic Field Greens with Apple, Toasted Walnut, Bleu Cheese, and Cider Vinegrette. (Meals like this make it abundantly obvious that John owns an apple orchard.)

Does this look familiar? It's one of the Mole Hollow Candles I wrote about! They burned really well and looked great. Three cheers for an easy positive impact!

My favorite photo of the night. The way the light hit the table was eerie, mysterious, intruguing and beautiful. And yet it's just a plate. One of the any reasons why I do so love photography.

More to come on Monday! And many of those are more food, ooooh!

Until then, best wishes!
~Brande N.

Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone!
The Inn will be closed for the holidays this week, and Dan and I are headed back to NY to visit with family. I'll be back and blogging on the 28th, hopefully with some fun new stories to share. Happy holidays, travel safely, and make some memories!

With Love,
~Brande N.

My feet must be tasty...

...because I seem to stick them in my mouth A LOT. Remember our previous conversation about all the mistakes I'll inevitably make while I learn the nuts and bolts of innkeeping? Well this morning was a perfect example of that.

This is the story:
A very nice couple ordered their meal, Dan and I made it, and then I brought it out to them. Whenever I bring out an order, I always check to see if the guests need anything else: syrup for their pancakes, butter for the toast, tabasco for the eggs, etc.. Speaking of tabasco on eggs, that is one thing I have just never seen the appeal of. It's just weird to me! But then again, I love beets and tuna fish with green olives and maple syrup in milk, so I guess I don't have much room to critique the preferences of others.

Anyway, the order in question was 2 eggs over easy with goat cheese and fresh tomato and basil on the side. In my head I thought, "Okay, they've got eggs, so they don't need syrup, and they've already got the side of goat cheese, tomato and basil, so they’re probably alright. But I might as well check, just to be sure.”

Me: “Could I get you guys anything else? More coffee? Ketchup or hot sauce for your eggs or anything weird like that?”

Guest: “Uh, yeah, hot sauce would be great.”

...and I just called it weird. Ugh! Boy my foot is tasty!

Our First Experience with the Smoke Detector

Today I am standing in the kitchen, just about to pour out last night's coffee. Just as I tip the carafe this ear shattering screech rips through the silence of my Monday morning. "Oh my..." I think, "The fire alarm!"

I run over to the security panel, panicked, and try to see which sector the alarm was set off in. They're ALL blinking! AHHHH! Lights are flashing, sirens ringing, I'm trying to figure out why, if the panel says the alarm was set off in the sitting room, I'm not on fire.

And then. Silence. *sigh of relief*

I go back to the panel, and it now shows that the alarm was set off in Room 10, the bottom level of our Eladesor cottages. Za, our housekeeper, and I run to the cottage and intercept a very frazzled looking Dan on the way. I tell him where we're going and the three of us head off to see what happened.

We open the door to Room 10 and an impenetrable wall of smoke faces us. Thick, grey, odorless smoke rises and falls in waves. "Odorless? Is it carbon monoxide?"

Dan (being the silly, slightly foolish, and sometimes too-brave soldier that he is) decides he's going to go in an see where it's coming from. I, of course, am panicking and reminding him not to breathe while I wait for the fire engine to come screaming into our driveway.

And long, seemingly exciting story short. A pipe burst. It was steam. The plummer came. All is well.


It's funny, because when people ask if Dan and I own the Inn, I always jokingly tell them, "Nah, John owns it, we're just here to make sure it doesn't burn down." And boy am I glad that today wasn't the day Dan and I stood outside and watched this 228 year old Inn burn. Whew!

With love and RELIEF,
~Brande N.

Work Related Side Effects

Dan and I were sitting at Fin Sushi in Lenox tonight, having dinner. It was of course fantastic and wonderful but so very filling. When we finished eating he looked at me and said with a groan, "We need to stop doing this." Which was in reference to the fact that this was the second night in a row that we had eaten out and had HUGE meals. (The night before had been his birthday dinner at the Route 7 Grill in Great Barrington.)

My response was, "But you see hun, we have to eat at all of these restaurants so that we can give our guests accurate reviews. It's work, really."

To which he replied, while imitating a large and Santa Clause like belly:
"Yeah, but if we keep doing this it won't be long before I'm suffering from some work-related side effects."



Oh, the hazards of Innkeeping. Such a hard life. :-)