You can always fax and call on Sunday but that’s the cut off for entry into the drawing. Get those enrollments in!
Of course, if you want to wait and enroll in Jan or Feb, that’s fine by us. Oh, don’t forget, Paul George is our first workshop and what a great workshop. Then Christine Debrosky! So far, the weather is mild.
And still be entered into our prize drawing. So, if you’re going to enroll, I’d do it now. Remember, all enrollments must be postmarked by Dec 31 2006.
Well, Momofuku called and said that they didn’t have the hat. It must have slipped off and now, one hopes, some homeless person is keeping warm using it.
Kim is busy knitting me another one. Sigh. It was nice of them to call. Well, I highly recommend it. So, go out there and give it a try. Just leave your hat at home. 😉
Next year we will be open for all the holidays. Here’s what you’re missing.
On Christmas Eve, we decorate our tree. To do this, I make eggnog and usually something else.
This year, I made pastries, dartois with frangipane filling.
Going…
Going…
Gone.
But before decorating the tree, we had our traditional late lunch. I made raclette sandwiches with potato bread.
Usually, one puts raclette over potatoes. In Vienna, we had sandwiches. So, I made potato bread sandwiches which you see here. I included traditional Holland style onions with Italian capers, sweet gherkins and white asparagus and a great eggplant rollade.
Kim likes open face sandwiches, et voila.
All this next to an open fire.
Then with nog in hand, we decorate.
Then we put the presents under the tree. We got a lot from everyone. Notice that nice big ornament from Monica? Beautiful.
Hudson made out like a bandit. He loved the candy canes Monica sent. Thanks. And we got him a dog bed. Luxury. Adina got him a squirrel flier, or frisbee-eque chew toy.
Christmas day is when we then open our gifts and presents.
Kim’s loot!
My loot!
And finally, the mess!
Kim and I then had a jacuzzi, it’s great owning a resort, and we broke out the cha-cha DVD and practice our cha-cha. Kim got me cha-cha lessons from the great Ron Montez from whom we used to take lessons. Our main instructor was Sherry Wu.
Oh, and last year we spent Christmas in Vienna at the Grand Hotel Wien. You missed that one, too. The year before we were in Virginia at my Mom’s house.
We ate at Le Ciel
And the Grand Cafe
There are pictures of our room somewhere on the blog.
We bought this tree from a neighbor down the road. The woman who lives there is charging people $20 to cut down a tree. She wants to clear her property. And we found this perfect, blue spruce! Isn’t it beautiful. We forget to take a picture of me cutting it down.
Kim has decided that we are going to plant a Christmas Tree grove. So we also bought a live tree. You know, we could just up root a tree and plant it on our property. Next year, I’ll get a picture of me cutting down a tree. There are so many great trees on her property. Next year, she wont be advertising but we’re invited back.
I’m making Raclette sandwiches and then I’ll make eggnog and pastry, probably some puff paste squares with some frangipane that I’ll make. Then we decorate the tree and drink my famous eggnog and my even more famous pastry. Don’t worry, you’ll get some of pastry next year. Tomorrow we’ll be eating my very famous Almost Welsh Pasties with demiglace and asparagus with Sauce Espagnole.
La!
And were we lucky to get Ruth for our first year of Art Quilt classes? You betcha. We’re asked her back. It’s up to her schedule at this point.
And they worked hard in our very large studio. This is a full class, 20 people, and they pinned up their work, and look at the space…
They worked, alright!
And Ruth mentored, taught and just was very hands on and wonderful.
They had fun eating…
We had a wonderful long weekend workshop with La Maestra:
in warm December,
Just look at the space in our studio. Wowza!
Oh yes, they had fun.
Look, a rare photo! How nice.
And even rarer photo of the Art Chicken! The Art Chicken is back! Ooops. It’s a fake.
What a beautiful flower and an even lovelier smile!
Now, back to work everyone!
More photos coming.
It’s back to being very hot here. Dang! No snow!
It finally went below freezing. We had some snow yesterday but it didn’t stick.
Sigh!
Well, we went to Manhattan after my Sunday practice of Shinto Muso Ryu (SMR) and hung out with my brother, John. We saw the Macy’s window display as well as the Lord and Taylor display. We hit the holiday market (advent market or Kristkindlmarkt, as they call it in Austria and Germany) in Grand Central as well as a couple of others. Stopped in at the Algonquin, one of my favorite hotels, and ate at Momofuku Noodle Bar which I had heard about from my Food Arts trade journal, which I love. It’s a great mag.
Momofuku was great. The food was spot on. I loved their Heritage Pork dish and liked, but didn’t love, their sweetbreads. I’m afraid that the deep frying masked too much of the delicate flavor. However, the sauce with the sweetbreads was great and I used it on the rice that came with the Heritage Pork dish. Kim had the zucchini hash and my brother and his girlfriend had the one vegetarian option. All of the food was very good, reasonably priced and the ambiance was fun. The sake list was fantastic and the rice beer was incredible. I’d eat there again but I wont bring my hat. I lost a ski hat that Kim knitted for me. Bummer. I hope I get it back.
They have a mixed reputation. Johnny, my brother, thinks it’s the wait. I think it’s the issue they have with hats. Will I go back? Probably. But then again, there are so many restaurants. Maybe I’ll go to Ssam, their other restaurant first.
We went down to the Frederick Vanderbilt house. A nice little house, not too much bigger than this one. It’s his Spring house I think. Probably double or triple the square footage of this one, maybe more but it isn’t ginormous. However, it had 750 acres and one mile of Hudson river frontage. The owner, Daisy, tried to sell it for $250K in the 30s but no takers so she donated it to the town of Hyde Park or the State of NY. I forget which. We’re more curious now about William Vanderbilt the original owner of this house.
The Mansion, as it is called, still has the one mile of river frontage. That’s very nice. I wish we had that. Plus it has a great creek, which we have. The house was done up like Versaille or Schonbrun. As a matter of fact, I said this to Kim and Voila, the guide said that they loved everything European back then and had the Steinway that they bought in NY shipped to Europe, I assume Italy or France, painted and then shipped back. The place was over the top. Nice curtains though.
Well, our cards are on order and we should be sending them out next week. So, hold onto your hats. Keep your fingers crossed. They are coming.
Thank you one and all for sending us these wonderful cards, letters and gifts. They are beautiful. Monica, Bunny, Ron, Diane, Clark, BJ, Mom(1 and 2), Colette, Donaldo, the Children of the Corn, and many more that I am sure I am missing, thanks for the artwork, the thoughts and we hope to see you all in the future, yes, even you Mom(1 and 2).
Have a Happy, Snappy, Winter and a colder New Year. (It is HOT ere! What a time for a Winter Workshop. Next year we will be open. We’re using Winter to go visit area attractions. We just got back from the Vanderbilt Museum.)
Thanks.
The workshops are over and don’t begin again till Feb 8th. We lead off with Paul George. The winter so far is VERY mild. So, come one, come all. We only had two days of cold weather during Ruth McDowell’s workshop. Just enough cold to have hot cocoa!
If you’re not in the mood for a workshop, come up or down or over and stay with us at the Greenville Arms. Don’t forget to book dinner in advance.
And we’re all having a good time. It snowed today too. But nothing stuck. “-( Boo. Hoo.
Well, Judith Trager is in the house and we’re having fun. We go from Judith to Ruth McDowell. There’s one slot open right now. Hurry up and grab it.
We had a fun time in Texas. Only part of which was spent in Houston. Austin is my old stomping grounds and we have friends in Dallas. And we stayed in the Four Seasons. How nice is that?
What did BJ Adams’
class do? Well, they had a great time eating:
And then they sewed…
a machine needling and bob-bobbin pulling thread
and that brings me back to butterflies!
Well, it’s been very warm during the day. It’s been in the 60’s. This is almost December people and it’s been hot. The nights have been cool. Right now it’s 48. The averages are 19 and 7 degrees. If this isn’t global warming, what is? If you look at the averages in this chart, you’ll see what trouble we’re in.
On the bright side, this means that the winter workshops wont be that cold. But then again, the skiing wont be that great either. Sigh. All you manhattanites, head for high ground!
Well, it has finally turned cold and I am finally putting up the Fiber Art Workshops pictures and it’s finally Thanksgiving and finally, I’m ending this sentence. Here are the pictures. The class, as you will notice, was big, about 16 people plus Natalie and we used 8 foot tables as well as kept all the furniture in place. And look at that space, not to mention the 24 new circuits that we put into the studio with floor plugs not less. Don’t forget, these guys also used easels to display their quilts. Tables, easels and couches, oh my!
Are they having fun? You bet they are! Sorry, no dining shots. but they had fun eating too! It was a great workshop.
We just got back from the International Quilt Festival. A great show. We had pretty good sign-ups for the fiber art workshops. The funny thing is, we also had some pretty good sign-ups for the painting workshops. Whohoo.
Kim will be downloading the pictures of the booth as well as the last two fiber art workshops. Pictures coming soon.
So sign up now!!!
Yes, that means there’s a Spring Artists’ Week. You missed it. Take a look at these wunnerful people having a wunnerful.
They danced the days away. Not to mention the nights. When they weren’t painting that is.
Oh, yes, this is a Photo Op and yes, these people are now famous.
And what did they do besides paint and dance? Well, eat. And here’s our famous Chef setting up our wunnerful buffet! Look at that!
And everyone is happy.
And here’s the Master himself, Skip Lawrence:
Whether they were eating,
relaxing
or working hard, everyone had a blast.
Ain’t that right girls?
Yeah, that’s right. If you missed this workshop again, I piddy you. 😉 If you want to get in, sign up now!
I’m still waiting for the Skip pictures. However, we are now into our fiber art program and we had a birthday. Diane had a birthday and I make her favorite. German Chocolate cake. I also made a chocolate sign with Happy Birthday on it. Unfortunately, no pictures. Dang!
Well, I think it’s Peak Color Season right now. On the thru-way and every place put here. We still have plenty of leaves that are green. So, come and see these beautiful colors.
We have 5 student slots open for Skip Lawrence’s class and only 1 room left at the inn. So, day students, come on! BTW, just to be clear, we’re talking 2007.
Other classes are filling up fast. Get your enrollments in if you wish to sign up this year. Remember Dec 31 is the cut off for entree into the drawing. First prize, free tuition!
Actually, renamed to Artists’ Week because we also take quilter’s and other fiber artists.
We’ve had an overwhelming response to the brochure and to next year’s painting line up. Don’t wait. Sign up. Don’t say I didn’t tell you. Sign up now while there’s still room.
Oh, and we still have art quilting workshops for this year left. And next year, wowza!
The wunnerful class watching
this wunnerful man paint
who came with his beautiful and talented wife.
Ahhhh! What a cute photo!
So many David’s this year. 3 or 4 teachers and so many students.
And now, the ubiquitous eating photos
This one is after Mary Whyte. Enjoy.
Skip’s workshop has begun! Well, sometime ago and everyone is having a fun time to say the least.
We’re in the middle of David’s workshop. So far, I haven’t been taking that many pictures. Good group. Sorry you didn’t sign up in time for this. It’s a great workshop.
I just served a new small white bean, kale and scallion dish that people loved. With my new stuffed lamb, yum, chops that were also scarfed. The lamb and yes, the kale, will be on next year’s comfort food menu. With this I served my ever lovin’, major famous garlic bread like non-other.
For dessert, the completely yummified cheese cake. Oooh.
Tomorrow will be the flank steak, BBQ’ed natch, with the chimichurri sauce. Ouch. Pinch me. Can food BE this good? And of course I’ll make the kaiser rolls with both blue and white poppy seeds. Only you can answer.
Did I mention we also now serve fresh squeezed OJ? I ask you. What more can you want? Orange French Toast. OK. That’s on the menu as well. Have at it. What can I say? If you didn’t come to a workshop this year or stay as an inn guest, I’m sorry to hear that. We had some fantastic painting instructors. Only thing that’s left is painter’s week and then the great fiber art workshops.
Stay tuned to www.artworkshops.com for 2007 workshop information. The brochures are out. And don’t forget to sign up for our email news letter.
InnSane
Well, Sockeye season is over but I got some. Yea! Last week King and this week Sockeye.
For those of you who missed this one, all I can say is, too bad! Here he is, Howard Rose:
And his fun class. These people were happy and charged:
And they loved the food, natch!
And here is the unsurpassed Mary Whyte. They loved her.
Here are the “they” who enjoyed this class. Too bad you weren’t here. Ah, the memories.
People loved this class. Everyone had a great time and was much refreshed by the class. And they also loved the food. Gourmet and yet homey.
And a full belly was had by all.
And a great time was had by all? How do we know it? Well… First, here’s the fun maker Ned:
And here are his happy painters:
And here they are having a great time at dinner. Look at these people, fercryinoutloud!
Here are the culprits. First the ring leader, Chaz:
And her gang! 😉
We did have fun. And also finally, Kim has given me all the pictures from the workshops.
I ordered some sockeye and was delivered a monster King salmon. I BBQ’ed it and then served it after I finish cutting it up and blotting the excess liquid off the skin. I served it with the crispy skin, skin-side up. I used the convection fans to recrisp up the skin. For the sockeye, because it isn’t as fatty as the King or the Atlantic salmon, I usually pan fry it in butter. The Atlantic I use my maple marinade.
Nice. It was beautiful. Everyone loved it and the salmon was cooked to perfection.