A Busy May and an Upcoming Milestone

It appears that I have been lazy with my blogging duties but in reality I have been busy helping Amy and Mark with the spring gardening and with our guests.  Yes, the busy season is upon us!  The garden is now all in order - new plants planted, mulching done, some vegetables planted - and all is looking great.  Although with this recent rain, I am sure we are going to have some weeding in the near future.  We have had two full weekends with Bowdoin College graduation and a early June wedding.  All the guests were fantastic and we enjoyed meeting guests new to our B&B and catching up with returning friends.  Of course, everyone made a fuss over me.

And in less than one month it will be our 7th Anniversary.  We opened on July 1, 2005 and time has certainly moved quickly.  It is amazing to see all the changes we have made through the years and to look back on all the great people we have met.  To celebrate we are offering guests 7% off their room rate in July when they wish us "Happy Anniversary" when making their reservation.  The discount only applies to July bookings and rooms are filling quickly so make your plans today!

An Inside Day

Mark, Amy and I have been working outside in the garden to get everything ready for the busy season but today is looking like an inside day.  The rain is falling, skies and gray and, unfortunately, I hear wind is forcasted for later today and lasting through the weekend.  I am not a fan of wind.  Well I will make the best of it and curl up on my cozy blanket and take a long morning nap.  I heard something about bread baking this afternoon so maybe I can help with that.  Here's to a cozy, dry, unwindy weekend for all of you.

Blueberry Muffins

Amy posted on the B&B's Facebook page yesterday and created a demand for a Blueberry Muffin recipe. She doesn't give out recipes often but I have highjacked this recipe to post for all of you who wanted it. The muffin recipe is from the book Dishing Up Maine by Brooke Dojny.
 
Martha's Marvelous Blueberry Muffins

2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C packed light brown sugar
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3/4 C whole or low fat milk
2 eggs
5 T unsalted butter, melted
1 C blueberries - fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with butter or line with paper liners.

Set a medium mesh sieve over a large bowl and measure the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt into the sieve. Using your fingers or a wooden spoon to push the flour-sugar mixture through the sieve. This removes the lumps from the brown sugar and blends the dry ingredients.

Whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter in a small bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do no overmix or the muffins will be tough, the batter should still look slightly lumpy. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and springy to the touch, 18-22 minutes. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before removing. Serve warm.

Now I noticed Amy put in more than a cup of blueberries and I had a muffin this AM which she split in half and toasted for me and it was still wonderful. So experiment and enjoy!

Banners Over Bath

Every spring Main Street Bath sponsors a public art dispay called Banners Over Bath. Anyone can pick up a canvas for a small fee and paint a banner to go with that year's theme. The banners are then displayed downtown on the lampost to brighten up the downtown during the rainy, sometimes muddy, spring in Maine. This year's theme celebates Bath's status as one of ten semi-finalists in the national Great American Main Street competition - a competition which we won! I took a walk downtown and took a few pictures to show you but you can also see the banners here or, better yet, take a trip to Bath and see them in person.

Everthing's Coming Up Green

An unexpected early spring and St. Patrick's Week (Yes, here in Bath the celebrating goes on for a week) makes my whole world look like it is turning green! The Snowdrops and Crocus are sprouting and blooming in the garden. The buds on the Magnolia tree keep getting bigger and bigger with all the warm sunlight and Amy has forced some Forsythia in a vase at the front door. The weather has been unseasonably warm with more warmth and sunshine in the forecast and that means lazy days on the patio instead of on my bed in front of the window. I will love this spurt of spring even when the weather turns cold and blustery again in the next couple months and we know it will - we live in Maine! Like I said, we are also celebrating St. Patrick's Day here in Bath with Bath Blarney Days! The fun includes a big parade, a soda bread baking contest, lots of special sales downtown many relating to all things green and the highlight this year, Bath's Blarney Ball. The committee has been hard at work planning this great event with live music (Big Chips Trio), dancing, light refreshments, door prizes and more. I really wish I could attend but I know Amy and Mark will give me a full recap of the party and maybe some pictures - which of course I will share with you. On top of all of that we will make our guests welcome and comfortable, cook fabulous breakfasts and make sure everyone enjoys a bit of the Irish this weekend.

Romance and Companionship

It is the season of love and we have had a lot of couples taking advantage of a romantic getaway to Bath and our B&B. They love the quiet and curl up in front of the fireplace to relax and unwind from the stresses in everyday life. They stroll downtown and browse the local shops bringing back a bottle of wine from Now You're Cooking to share before dinner at Solo Bistro or one of our other great restaurants. All this has me thinking that maybe I need a companion too! Mark, Amy and I watched the Westminster Dog Show this week and I saw all those wonderful breeds strutting their stuff for the judges. Of course, no Italian Bergamascos were there but that is okay - we know we are in a class by ourselves. But seeing all those dogs makes me think a little "mini me" would be a wonderful addition to our family. Now I just need to convince Amy and Mark that I would help train and keep a youngster in line. Wish me luck and if all goes well I may have help with all the greeting and blog writing in the future.

We Have the Top Three!

During these quiet months I get some time to catch up on my sleeping and reading and I recently looked at Trip Advisors' survey on U.S. lodging trends. The survey found that the top three amenities that travelers look for are (1) WiFi access (2) Breakfast included with the booking and (3) Guest loyalty points. Here at the Benjamin F. Packard House we offer all three! WiFi is available throughout the property and is free of charge. Breakfast is, of course, included as we are a bed and breakfast and we also offer complimentary afternoon tea. Our breakfast also go above and beyond the standard fare at the chain hotel buffet with homemade pasteries and breads, made to order entrees that are not cooked until you come downstairs at the time you have chosen and request for special dietary needs honored and accomodated without fuss. For the Guest Loyalty Points - we don't give you a card to punch or require a certain amount of stays, we make it easy and always offer our returning guests 10% off their room rate. Just let us know you previously stayed with us and we will adjust your bill accordingly. It is always nice to know that what we offer is what travelers are looking for and I am sure in the next survey that a great greeting from a handsome Italian sheepdog will be the top trend that guests are looking for in their lodging choice!

Put a Little Romance in your Life

That time of year is back when all thoughts turn to love and romance. Of course I am talking about Valentine's Day and the whole season that surrounds it. The 14th of February falls in the middle of the week this year so people actually have two weekends to plan a celebration. What are you thinking of...flowers, a nice bottle of bubbly, chocolates, romantic music? You can actually do all of these and in one great romantic getaway - our B&B! Amy and Mark offer a Valentine's Day Package that includes a lot of great extras for an extraordinary price and the rate on a second night is unbelievable! So check out the package and give us a call to book a room. (You can also just call and book a romantic getaway without the package and have a great time!) And, as always, I will be here to greet you when you arrive.

Maine Shrimp

One of the best things about the quiet season in Maine is that Maine Shrimp's Season fall during this time. I love seafood and Maine shrimp, although small, are a wonderful, sweet delicacy that are great in a variety of recipes. Amy cooks them up for in pasta or on top of pizza. They are also great in chowder and Downeast Magazine has a great recipe. Of course, to get them at their freshest, you'll have to come for a visit!

Our Window Garden

During the warm months, we have a wonderful garden at the Benjamin F. Packard House. I love laying under the rhododendren bush and watching the butterflies and hummingbirds frolick among the flowers. The garden was put to bed many months ago, but Amy did bring in a couple plants indside and they are flourishing in the kitchen window.

The rosemary is actually doing better inside than it did in the summer heat. Amy also dug up two Gerber Daisies, cut them way back and potted them. Their leaves are now sprouting up and enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine.

Complimenting these plants are the Christmas cactus with a few blooms left (it actually bloomed at Thanksgiving this year) and a Amaryllis which will hopefully bloom soon.

Watching the plants thrive and bloom gives us hope for an early spring on the dark winter days.

It is the Wicked Quiet Season

Just a quick reminder from me that it is the Wicked Quiet Season here at our B&B which means wicked good prices. Rooms are either $100 or $120 a night and that includes a gourmet breakfast and afternoon tea in front of the wonderful fireplace in the gathering room. Of course you get to be greeted by me which is always the highlight of the stay (well, at least, for me it is!)Give us a call and book a room soon - Wicked Quiet Season ends March 31st.