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.