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Archive for April, 2011

Plan a Special Occassion Celebration at a Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast

April 30th, 2011 by KC Christopher

There are events in life that give us cause for celebration, special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays and holidays.  These significant milestones beg to be shared with loved ones and friends, in a setting that provides comfort and the opportunity for relaxed gatherings.  A Bed and Breakfast can be a perfect fit for these venues, with personalized customer service you would be hard-pressed to find at a hotel or motel.

She said yes!

Are you looking for that perfect place to propose?  Or to spend your honeymoon?  The intimate nature of a bed and breakfast allows you to create a personalized and private experience in a setting that is both romantic and unique.

You can choose to enlist the assistance of the innkeeper for some behind-the-scenes special touches to make your occasion even more memorable.  Return from a special dinner to find your room softly lit and special music you chose playing in the background, a bottle of wine, champagne or perhaps a beautiful dessert waiting bedside.  Choose a room with a two-person Jacuzzi tub or the ambiance of a lovely fireplace to help you set the stage.  During your stay you can arrange for an in-house couple’s massage or spend an entire afternoon at a lovely local day spa.  Order up a picnic lunch to take to a romantic setting along the lake or on a chauffeured limo tour of wineries and waterfalls.

a summer picnic lunch with a bottle of wine

Maybe you are wanting to celebrate getting past a significant life event such as a divorce or the end of cancer treatment.  Perhaps you have become an empty-nester and find yourself at the beginning of a new chapter in your life.  It can be helpful and therapeutic to just get away to clear your mind and imagine what wonders lie ahead for you, in a setting that feels secure and friendly.

Whether you want a social gathering place to bring your friends, or a private retreat for you and your love, there is a B&B that can take your fantasy stay and make it a reality.  And these moments, my friends, are what making memories are all about.

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Spring 2011 Events on the Cayuga Wine Trail and Seneca Lake Wine Trail

April 17th, 2011 by KC Christopher

blooming spring flowers

beautiful yellow flowers blooming

Spring time gives us plenty of good reasons to getaway for a weekend and attend an event at either Cayuga Wine Trail’s Wine & Herb Festival or Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend.  The waterfalls are flowing and the trees are beginning to bud.  The landscape is coming alive after a long winter.   Enjoy a leisurely drive up the lakes as you take in the beautiful scenery between vineyards.  With the variety of wines available and numerous wineries to choose from, discovering your favorite wine is like going on a treasure hunt.  Bring friends along and share the fun or make some new friends along the wine trail.

Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend is being held from Friday, April 29th, at 1:00pm - Sunday, May 1st, 5:00pm.  This popular event, sponsored by Cabot Cheese and Macadam Cheese, pairs Finger Lakes wines with a taste of delightful treats prepared using a variety of cheese.  This is your chance to visit over 30 wineries and take home a recipe book featuring those tasty treats.  Visit the Seneca Lake Wine Trail website for ticket information.

glass of riesling

Reisling, the star of the Finger Lakes wine

It’s time for the Cayuga Wine Trail’s 19th Annual Wine & Herb Festival, running two weekends; April 29th-May 1st and again on May 6th -8th.  What a great way to kick-start your gardens and restock your wine cellars.  Participants will sample wines along with herb-infused cuisine at 16 wineries and take home an herb or veggie plant from each winery along with recipes and a plant carrier.  Save money by purchasing your tickets in advance at the Cayuga Wine Trail website or any Wegman’s store.

Be sure to check out The Halsey House Bed and Breakfast’s availability calendar for your upcoming stay during these Finger Lakes wine tasting events.  And, if you are traveling with friends or family, our vacation rental Clarke’s Cottage on Hidden Pond has a great location right between the two lakes and can accommodate up to ten people in plush comfort.  Enjoy your stay and the Vino!

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The Halsey House Goes Locavore in 2011 with a CSA Membership

April 6th, 2011 by KC Christopher

organic local vegetables

a sample of NY farm fresh local organic vegetables at the farmer's market

Last year the Halsey House went locavore with our first on-site organic vegetable garden, made entirely possible by the efforts of our gardener extraordinaire, Erica Ungleich.  It is common knowledge that I (KC) have a brown thumb.  Okay, maybe more like a black thumb.  If I touch plants, they are destined for the compost pile within a very short time.  Under Erica’s hand, the gardens are filling in and becoming more beautiful at both the Halsey House and Clarke’s Cottage on Hidden Pond.  We are anxious to get started this year with expanded plantings and some new designs.

In 2010, our new crop of herbs and vegetables became wonderful savory breakfast dishes for our customers to enjoy, such as KC’s Garden Frittata.  I may not be handy in the dirt, but I am at home in the kitchen!  This year we will adjust our own garden by adding berries, continuing the luscious tomatoes, cutting back on the zucchinis and green peppers (these multiplied like rabbits!) and nixing the cantaloupe and carrots.

field of cauliflower

a field of organic cauliflower

And for a source of other local organic produce, we are proud to announce our new membership in a fine Trumansburg CSA, Sweetland Farm.  What is a CSA you ask?  Here is the explanation from Sweetland’s own website:

“Community Supported Agriculture evolved to bring farmers, farmland, and a community of members together into a meaningful relationship that equitably meets the needs of all three parties. Farmers need a place to farm and make a viable living. Farmland needs to be enriched and nurtured so that it can yield bountiful harvests year after year. Members need a dependable source of vibrant, richly grown food. All of these needs must be kept in balance. Sweet Land Farm is a CSA-only farm, so everything that we grow is for you, the shareholders. This makes the above-mentioned balance nicely transparent. All of the money that we receive from members is either put into the farm, or paid to the farmers and farm workers. All of the produce that the farmers, farm workers, and farmland produces is distributed to the members. As a member you are truly ensuring this farm’s existence and a small farm family’s livelihood.”

A special thank you goes out to Rose at the Inn at Gothic Eves for her gentle persuasion in getting us on board with Sweetland Farm.  Rose has been at the forefront of the locavore movement long before it was popular.

fresh strawberries

juicy fresh-picked strawberries

Look for our new dishes featuring farm-to-table freshness on the Halsey House breakfast table this year.  If you have a great breakfast recipe you’d like to share, we’d be happy to give it a try.  Let’s here it for local, fresh, healthy and yummy!

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