Christmas Tree Hunt for Iron Mountain Inn B&B

The Day After Thanksgiving and the family was all here.
Time to cut the perfect tree for the Iron Mountain Inn's front window, you see
Off to the mountaintop and Wintergreen Farm we go
The road winds round up to the top
And there are the trees...all covered with snow!

The day was coming to close so it was a search in a hurry
But just enough daylight to help in our search

From tree to tree we hurried, first this one's perfect, but no, that one's better. Oh dear, which one did we choose....they all seem so perfect!

Dad was our measuring rod - 7-8' would be perfect, that's him plus his arm raised high
After circling the trees and finding no faults, we picked the perfect tree to load on our car.

Simon came with the saw and the stick (to raise the lower branches while Todd did the work)
Another family also had chosen their tree, so both were loaded onto the wagon to be taken and shaken so no snow came home too

Bottom first the trees were loaded into the wrapping machine, then lifted and hefted onto the car.

A few more errands and then home to the Inn where the tree will stand in the window for all to see
As we celebrate this holiday and the start of another year.

Come share the magic of the mountains with us in December, mention this blog and take 15% off your stay.

Bacon

Did you know there is now an International Bacon Day?  Learn more about bacon by contacting the author who is looking for information:

query-43sv@helpareporter.net 

I'm writing an article for International Bacon Day (8/30/14)
about bacon's following around the world. I'm interested in how
bacon is eaten and celebrated in other countries. Bacon food
tours, bacon tastings, bacon festivals, bacon restaurants,
specialty or signature bacon dishes, and any interesting bacon
news in countries other than the US. 

Guess there are a few countries where this Bacon Day will not be celebrated....

I like bacon but not too fond of bacon ice cream.  Bacon wrapped around water chestnuts was very popular years ago as a cocktail appetizer, but you don't see it much anymore Sometimes it was wrapped around liver...now that was an interesting combination.

I like bacon in a BLT, but you also have to have really good L and T and Dukes Mayo to make this more than a routine blt.  For those who don't know Dukes...you may use Hellman's.

  

I like bacon with eggs especially fried eggs when they are fried in the bacon grease.  Not too good for the heart, but on a special occasion, splurge!

Bacon wrapped around a filet is also good.  Gives a little extra "bite" to the steak and when you unwrap the bacon from the steak you get those wonderful little pieces stuck to the bacon.

So remember....International Bacon Day is coming up!  Are you ready?

Doe Mountain Recreational Area in Doe Valley, Tennessee

 

Sunrise over Doe Mountain

Discovered by Daniel Boone as he rested on his way west, the valley formed by the Watauga River which came to be known as Doe Valley has been a majestic landmark in Johnson County, TN for hundreds of years.  Legend has it when Daniel Boone was traveling west, he stopped in this fertile valley, shot a doe and so named the valley Doe Valley and the creek he quenched his thirst from as Doe Creek.  Today it still provides water and fishing for the local inhabitants.

For many years the 8600 acre mountain named Doe Mountain was used as a wildlife management area as well as a place for the local hunters of Johnson County to hunt deer, turkey, and bear.  In about 2006 it was sold to a developer who planned to turn it into high end homes on secluded lots, build a large 20 acre pond for fishing and there was even talk about making a golf course on the mountain.

Then the recession arrived and the market fell out for second homes, especially high end ones and the developer went bankrupt.  Rumor had it that he had turned down $35M for the property a few months before the bottom dropped out.  Oops!

There the mountain sat.  Not bringing any tax income to the county which could have used it, not being used for hunting, hiking or anything else, just sitting there waiting for someone to buy it from the bank.  Along came a timber company which offered the bank $1.5M and the timber company planned to clear cut the mountain.  ARGH!

Although this is a protected quarry, this is what the mountain might look like once all the trees were cut down and the stumps removed.  Luckily our county Mayor, Larry Potter, was not going to let this happen to an important natural resource right in the center of the county.  And so he began to search for funding to purchase the mountain and save it from destruction.The Nature Conservancy came to the rescue, bought the property and then after due diligence sold it to the State who gave it to Johnson County.

Now the volunteers, county officials and outsiders who want to use the trails are working to make Doe Mountain the recreational facility it can be.  Already there are ATV trails, hiking trails and soon, once the insurance comes through, horseback riding trails will be created.  The biggest need right now are funds to hire a supervisor, but the permit fees haven't justified filling a full time position....but one will be hired soon.

So if you like to hike, bike, ride an ATV or explore the geology and plant life of this unique property, come stay at the Iron Mountain Inn B&B, Creekside Chalet or House on Watauga Lake which are all about 10 minutes from the mountain.

Fabulous Food Glorious Food Enticing Food

Food is something about which we all have opinions and which we cannot do without.  But what I find fascinating about food is that in your entire life, you never have to eat the same thing twice if you don't want to.  Now, you may be using the same ingredients, but what you do with them makes the outcome different than the time before.

Since I like to try new/different dishes often, I'm always looking for new recipes and ingredients.  The internet is a great resource for this!  The following recipe I got from friends who tail gate in Connecticut and love good food and drink.And I think they got it from a George aka Ed who got it from Mario TailGates NASCAR Style.  And since I'm close to Bristol Motor Speedway, "the last great Colosseum this is a very appropriate meal.

Eggs From Hell

INGREDIENTS:

4 TBLS extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion coarsely chopped

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 tsp hot chili flakes (or a few drops of Mazi Piri Piri sauce - known at the Jersey shore)

3 cups basic tomato sauce

8 farm fresh eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

PREPARATION

Place 10" cast iron skillet on stove (or outdoor grill) over medium heat

Add olive oil and heat until just smoking

Add chopped onion, garlic, jalapenos and chili flakes and cook until softened and light brown.  Takes about 7 minutes

Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil

Immediately lower th heat to a simmer and carefully crack the eggs one by one into the tomato sauce.

Cook until set to your liking

Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with cheese.

It will be cool enough to serve by the time you transfer the eggs to a plate and then to the table.,

Serves 4

Sausage or other ingredients may be added during the cooking period.

Once you try this and I'm sure each of you will adapt it to your taste it will become a mainstay in your recipe box.

We get our eggs from a local farmer who has chickens which lay blue, green and pink eggs. These are green... at least some of them are!

Spring Race at Bristol

Won't be long until the trucks, trailers, campers and cars will start arriving at the Bristol Motor Speedway for the Spring Race!  As always...the "last great .... well I can't spell Collesium....so if someone reads this, please let me know!

Anyway, we are a short 45 minutes from the track and we give a "secret" back road so you don't get caught in the after/before race traffic.  Leave your seats, walk to your car and you'll be back up the mountain in no time at all!  So give us a call before all the rooms are gone and enjoy the weekend at the Iron Mountain Inn B&B.,  Have a few friends coming with you?  Why not either rent the entire Inn (4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths) or the Creekside Chalet (3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, hot tub under the stars) or the House on Watauga Lake (3 bedrooms 3 baths and a fishing dock at the end of the lawn).

Of course, many guests enjoy relaxing at the Inn with full breakfast each morning, snacks and drinks on your return from the track,,in fact, dinner may be ordered in advance so once you return to the top of the mountain you don't have to leave,

And what a view you have from the mountaintop!  First timers always stop, get out of their car and then stop to look.  At night...it's often the stars which are so close you can reach up and grab a handful they seem so close.  Sunsets are spectacular as the last light of sun slides behind Iron Mountain.  Even cloudy days have a beauty all their own..

So check out the website: www.ironmountaininn.com, send us an email or give us a call.  We look forward to sharing the magic of the mountains with you...either for the Race Weekend in March, or August, or anytime you need a break from the 9-5!

Iron Mountain Inn B&B: Spring Race at Bristol

Iron Mountain Inn B&B: Spring Race at Bristol: Won't be long until the trucks, trailers, campers and cars will start arriving at the Bristol Motor Speedway for the Spring Race!  As al...

Sun and Snow

Have been watching the Sochi Olympics...they could be holding them in Butler, TN with all the snow and cold weather we've been having this winter!  It sure has been warmer in Russia than in Johnson County!  

After the summer rains and flooding we had in 2013, I figured we might be in for it this winter...and we have been.  But today the sun was out, I walked down the driveway to see the blue sky and puffy white clouds. Puffed my way back up to the Inn. Then my driveway alarm went off.  I thought it must be a deer or turkey, but no, it was a big 4 wheel drive truck!  Someone looking to hold a Quinceañera Celebration.  The last time I saw her, she was 10 years old and helping her mom clean houses.

Unfortunately, the Inn isn't big enough for the number of people she plans to have...don't think her dad has any idea of the cost of this party!  Gave her the names of some other places. Also suggested instead of having the party from 2-11, she cut it off at 4 hours!  More than enough time for a party/celebration.

Birds have been going through sunflower seeds...and I don't think the squirrels have helped them the last couple of days....just the finches, nuthatches, and juncos.  I think I heard a robin this morning....have seen a couple of cardinals but they don't like perching on my feeders and the one they use was knocked off and broken.  Time for a new one!  When I go out tomorrow!

Tried a new pancake recipe....glue!  Back to the drawing board...or kitchen.  That's what I love about cooking....mistakes don't matter when you are cooking at home for yourself!  There is always another try!

Speaking of recipes...guess it's time to start sharing some with my readers.

Stay warm and smile!

Scones

I love reading a newspaper with my morning juice (I'm not a coffee drinker) and the paper I really enjoy is the Wall Street Journal.  Of course, the "news" may be 3 days late because it comes via USPS, but the in-depth coverage makes up for what I see and hear on radio and tv.

But it's the other features of the paper which I truly enjoy and often share articles with friends and family.   I love the weekly real estate "Mansions" section; I avidly read the tech columns to learn what I should be thinking about buying next; I enjoy the wine discussions and have enjoyed giving some of the wines mentioned although now I usually give wines from our local winery Watauga Lake Winery in Butler, TN; and the recipes often catch my fancy.

 As the owner of a bed and breakfast, one article recently which said "try me" was Currant Cream Scones.  How could I not enjoy an article titled, "Romancing the Scone" - congrats to the headline writer for that one!
And try it today I did!  Didn't have any currants so made due with dried cranberries.  My guests loved them!  I loved making them since it was so easy.  Put the dry ingredients together the night before, added the heavy cream, mixed and baked!

So in case you want to try it here is the recipe.  Although it says makes 20 scones, I only made 8 as I made them a little fatter in a special scone pan.

2 cups all-purpose flour (I always use King Arthur)
1 tbls baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 cup sugar, plus 2-3 tbls for sprinkling
1 1/3 cups dried currants (I used cranberries, next time, dried blueberries and then...chocolate chips)
1 cup heavy cream, cold
3 tbls unsaled butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. over a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir in currants.  Add heavy cream to bowl and use an electric mixer to blend on low until ingredients are just combined.
3. Dump dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead very briefly. (I used a Silpat mat instead of putting more flour into the dough).
4. Roll dough out to a 1-inch thickness.  Use a 1-1 1/2 inch cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out scones.
5. Place scones 1 inch apart on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Reroll dough scraps and repeat process until all the dough has been used..  Using my scone pan, the dough filled the 8 slots.
6. Use a pastry brush to pain tops of scones with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar.  Place pan/baking sheet in center of oven and bake until scones are golden - about 12-15 minutes.
7. Let scones cool on a baking rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature with butter and jam. (Scones can be stored in airtight container up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up to 12 weeks.
    My guests didn't need butter or jam with these light flaky scones.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as we've enjoyed these.

Selfies

"Selfie", even the Oxford Dictionary picked it up as the "word of the year in 2013".  I know a lot of people who take Selfies, but my first attempt was not a winner.  Just made me look fat so I haven't posted it here...or anywhere.  I'll keep trying.

However, I came across this site for the "Selfie Olympics" (http://read.bi/1khxZRc ) and thought what a fun weekend we could have at the Inn taking Selfies!  Then at Sunday breakfast we could have them laid out and we could pick a winner.  The prize might be 50% discount on another stay!

I'd like to hear from former and potential guests as to what would be a good time to do it.  I'm thinking Spring, maybe the 2nd or 3rd week in April when the leaves are just coming out, but you can still get some neat backgrounds in your Selfies.

I'm also planning to have Geocaching weekend.  I've always wanted to learn more about it and it's a great way to learn about your area, get some exercise and maybe even be the first person to find a cache!  This will be a weekend when the Watauga Lake Winery is having a dinner so after a day in the out-of-doors, you can follow it up with a wonderful event, delicious dinner and wine!

If you are interested, check our website: www.ironmountaininn.com, leave your name, phone number and an email so I can keep you posted on when these two events will occur.  Space will be limited to rooms at the Inn and the Creekside Chalet (www.creeksidechalet.net).  It'll be first come first reserved.

Snowing like crazy around the Inn, but at least the wind has stopped blowing.  However, think it's time to sweep off the covered deck as the cats are not happy about going out there to relieve themselves....