Have you checked out our newly revised website? I've collected the recipes you've asked for over the years and put them in our "online cookbook" for you.
I promise we'll be adding photographs. I think we've been too busy in the kitchen getting food out to you in the dining room to think about snapping a photo of the pretty dishes. I do seem to take photos of how we use technology in the kitchen. I think Stella, a long-time innkeeper from many years ago, would appreciate the dueling MacBooks and the iPad recipe book!

Have you tried the Blue Hill Co-op Café's new donuts? You may not want to risk it. They are so habit-forming, and so far, the co-op just makes them on weekends. I recommend the plain ones. The Co-op Café does a great job creating delicious choices for folks who want something gluten-free or sweetened with maple syrup. Artichoke season is definitely on in this area--Marlintini's offered them crab filled along side their Caesar salad and Seasons crisped them up and served them next to salmon.

Once again, the Blue Hill Inn is helping to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. The offer is very simple. Between April 25 and May 27 this year, we will offer rooms at half the regular rate, in exchange for a $35 check payable to Habitat for Humanity. Just mention the special fundraiser when you reserve and we'll work out the details with you.

These funds will be distributed among the ten local chapters of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates in more than 3,000 communities in 92 nations have built more than 300,000 homes for partner families around the world.

My favorite seaglass jeweler, Luke Hartmann, will be showing his baubles at Handworks Gallery this year! Handworks is less than two blocks from the inn and filled with arts and crafts. Owner-artist Marcia Stremlau painted the book shown here. Her art seems to really capture the feel of Maine.

Our annual open house is May 18. Please plan to come! We are very excited about our plans for the 2011 season and look forward to sharing them with you.

Spring in Blue Hill

I can title a blog post whatever I want, of course. By "spring" I mean widely varying temperatures, gorgeous snowfalls that stick around for a minute, and weather that includes sun, sleet, hail, and picturesque snow--all in one day! Bulbs are coming up, a bit disgruntled but showing good faith.

Maine artists talk about the light and this is the season of amazing light. As Ellen O'Neill says, "Maine and all of New England are my principal areas of interest whether it is the inland lakes and mountains, farmlands, the coast, or its people. It is the play of light dramatically affecting the color, atmosphere, and mood of a scene that first draws my attention to it. My challenge is then to convey to others, through my painting, what I felt, the story it may tell and my inspiration." "Fleeting Light" is one of her paintings.

I had a lovely dinner at the Pub at the Brooklin Inn the other night--surf and turf with fresh scallops (read this interview with a scallop diver and you'll appreciate your winter desk job a whole lot more!) and steak tips from Bianco's. The pub is casual and cozy. Someone else is feeding us and the woodstove... They have some fun beers on tap, too. And, best part of the whole evening, Brian, who works down the road at the Brooklin Boatyard, came in with his dog, Digby, part Bernese mountain dog. Heaven for me. Dining upstairs in their lovely Maine cottage dining room is an option as well.

If you're craving a water motif cup of coffee, C Shells is your spot. Shelly has the prettiest cafe on the peninsula, and you can get the Weekly Packet along with your breakfast, lunch, or coffee break.

Arborist Bob Salesi (aka Tree Bob) turned me on to free trees from the Arbor Day Foundation. A membership is very reasonably priced and you can choose 10 free trees! Tree Bob recommended Colorado Blue Spruce so that's what I went with.
He said I could grow them a few years and then have gorgeous Christmas trees if I wanted, or we could decorate them for the winter birds and have them for years to come. He and Matt came, in the midst of the latest spring snowstorm, to clean up some wayward branches at the inn. I would love to have a job where I smelled like sawdust, sap, and fresh air! Now there's a candle scent.

I hope your spring has been as interesting as ours!

The Snowy Winter Reading Pile!

Welcome to the snowiest winter yet! Blue Hill is gorgeous in white, just gorgeous.

I have the most luscious stack of books to delve into. I just picked up Ellen Booraem's latest at Blue Hill Books (they often have autographed copies of books by local authors). I loved the Unnamables. I also picked up Gonville, a memoir by Peter Birkenhead, I am giving to a friend. Next on the list to read, though, is Obsessive Genius, the Inner World of Marie Curie, so I'm ready for the Brooksville reading group.

I've been taking a Colloquy, Maine Painters, with William Irvine, but it was a January happening and now it's February so I have a pocket of time. (This painting is one of his, Dancing Sea.) Well, I had a pocket of time--now I have these books and plans to see films and the latest play at the Opera House, Dying City. The class about painters who loved Maine was great--Marsden Hartley, Winslow Homer, and William Thon, to name just a few of my favorites. So many artists catch the incredible beauty and light of the coast.

I did find time to take a cooking class--in potstickers!
I thought they would make a fun offering during the hors d'oeuvres hour. All winter long I'm collecting recipes and ideas. Come May I'm bursting for the main inn building to open up again so we can start serving guests pancakes and cookies and savory nibbles. This time of year we deliver muffins and sweet breads and cookies and chocolates but it's not quite the same as the cookie tray in the parlor and then the table of hors d'oeuvres before dinner.

I'm starting to wonder if Blue Hill is the greeting card capitol of the world--the Barnacle has a great line of handmade cards as well as Maine-based cut out cards (the lobster trap is perfect!), and New Cargoes has lots of cards by Maine artists, and Fairwinds Florist has a very sophisticated line of cards that are perfect for my friends as well as Maine art gift cards and Blue Hill Books carries perfect cards to add to the book which they will giftwrap for you. The Blue Hill Inn has always offered to stamp and mail correspondence for guests, whether our postcards or others. I only just realized how perfectly this amenity fits into Blue Hill as a whole!

And if all of that weren't excitement enough, the Packers won! I am from Wisconsin, after all.

I hope your February has just the right the ratio of snow to hot chocolate, delicious reading and scrumptious outings. If not, come see us and we will adjust as necessary!

The Holidays in Blue Hill

Although a part of me keeps wondering, "Where did August go?!" we are firmly into our quiet season. This time of year, November to mid-May, we offer lodging in our Cape House, in the Suite and the Studio. We leave snacks in the rooms, some savory, some sweet, and some healthy. The baking elves leave scones or muffins or coffee cake. And of course the rooms are supplied with our organic, free trade coffee. Although we are in the middle of town, deer short cut through the yard, the pileated woodpeckers visit the trees, and other birds feast on the berries. The sun rises this time of year at a reasonable hour. The sunsets, though very early, often bathe the whole town in pinks and purples. And the full moon, well, it's practically a Blue Hill citizen.

Halloween at the inn has adults enjoying adult beverages (we don't make the grown ups say "trick or treat" on their way to the bar) and kids selecting treats from the big silver bowl. This year's silly non-candy option--toothbrushes! (These went over well, to the amusement of a dentist-guest attending the festivities.) I dare you to try it at your house!
Thanksgiving always includes some dining out--Cleonice, the Arborvine, and Table all remain favorites, but we've added the Lookout, at their winter digs. Seems like such a Maine thing--a restaurant moves up the hill to a cozy house with a central woodstove and continues to offer incredible options. We are still dreaming about corn chowder with Maine shrimp (just coming into season--so fresh!), the seared scallops with creamy risotto, the steak au poivre (with wee shoestring potatoes), and the crème brûlée and chocolate mousse. Call them now!

My favorite Christmas event, the Bagaduce Chorale concert, was better than ever this year, with a Fred Waring toast. Nothing gets holiday spirits up higher!

I've told you each year that you must come for New Year's Eve in Blue Hill. The line up of music and entertainment--all completely free--delights even the sophisticate. We have loved Scott Howell because he's a great carpenter and has helped us at the inn with many projects, and because his daughter Ellie has worked at the inn for the last few summers, but now we love him because we love his Loose Cannon Jug Band! The evening hosts over a dozen performers at locations all around Blue Hill (and within easy walking distance of the inn). We caught some steel drum music, our local pastor and his wife singing together, and our own Mesa Schubeck. We didn't make it to the New Trad Trio or Black Tie Fiasco--next year I hope.

You might be thinking, "Ah, but now it's after the holidays, and Blue Hill gets dull," but no! Now it's time for the first El El Frijoles Salsa Night! And by salsa they mean a three-course dinner and a salsa dance lesson followed by music, dancing, and carrying on. And the Blue Hill Concert Association starts their winter program this weekend with the Lefthand Canyon Trio.

I hope you had magical holidays, filled with laughter and wonder, and that January has you marveling at the cold crisp clarity of the winter world and snuggling under the covers! (Photo credits go to Lisa Peschel, a pal of mine since 7th grade, who was here for New Year's, and Julie Jo Fehrle, who manages to be in Blue Hill for epic full moons and festive pumpkin carving. Thanks!)

The End of a Wonderful Season!

And so we come to the end of October... Did your summer fly by as fast?

The Foliage, Food, and Wine Festival is so much fun! You must put it right on your calendar for next year. Always held the third weekend in October, it's all about food and wine and, well, foliage! The Blue Hill Inn continues to collaborate with El El Frijoles to create a delightful evening for guests. The five-course dinner sold out so quickly that we added a second night. And no wonder, with Huevos en el Pugatorio, Carnitas Tostadas, Bogavante Asado Cola (Michele is pictured here brushing the lobster with chili butter)--with so many local foods, like vegetables from Horsepower Farm and eggs from Quill's End Farm and lots that is grown right at the El El Taqueria! And, El El Frijoles went on to win Best of the Fest for the second year in a row at the Taste of the Peninsula on Sunday!

The Artisan Chocolate Making Class was a tremendous success as well. Kate, from Black Dinah Chocolatiers, is amazing behind a vat of chocolate. She masterfully led 12 students, with bonbons dancing before their eyes, to creating wee bits of delicious art. Kate's blog is filled with yummy recipes and a nice dash of romance. Kate is shown here on the left, watching Kim work on truffles in the Blue Hill Inn kitchen. Guests at the inn that night were treated to lovely chocolate leaves for their pillow chocolates, which have left me wanting fancy chocolates for all occasions. Aren't they so pretty? Kate and Steve will make you lovely things in their Isle au Haut kitchen!

Did you catch the article in the New York Times about Ingrid Bengis and her Deer Isle seafood? It's hard to read it and not get craving the local lobster or crab or scallops--so delicious! All year long I have guests marvel at the wonderful dining options we have in this very rural area. And then, in the guest book this morning, "Thank you for an absolutely wonderful night in Blue Hill. Guests must try the blueberry pancakes!"

We are gathering pumpkins and costume ideas and recipes for our Halloween party. If you're in the area, come by for a treat!

Woe be he
And all his kin
Who steals this book
From the Blue Hill Inn!
so inscribed is the copy of The Girl with the Phony Name, written and presented to the inn by Charles Mathes. He and his lovely wife, Arlene Graston, an amazing poet and artist herself, stayed at the inn this fall and sent me the book and one of Arlene's card to say thank you. I love this illustration of hers from Aesop's fables. You know I have the sweetest guests ever! And so talented!

Two other delightful guests sent me a vacation in St. Croix! Well, they sent me a book, Don't Stop the Carnival, by Herman Wouk, with explicit reading instructions: "The appropriate time to read this book is in front of a fire on a cold, rainy and windy day after you have closed the Inn for the winter when you can let your mind wander to imagine life in the Virgin Islands in virtually perpetual sunshine during the day, gentle winds and water you can actually swim in without fear of turning into an ice cube." I'll put my feet up. I might drink a piña colada while I'm at it!

Have you seen October's DownEast magazine?! Blue Hill is the special supplement star this month! The autumn photographs capture the feel and look of October in Blue Hill perfectly. (And Jeff the chef's apple walnut bars capture the taste!)

Sour Cream Apple Squares
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped nuts
1-2 tsps. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups finely chopped, peeled apples

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, and butter; beat at low speed until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Press 2 3/4 cups of crumb mixture in bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch pan. To remaining mixture, add cinnamon, baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla, and egg; mix well. Stir in apples. Spoon evenly over base.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into squares.

If you haven't made your reservations for the Foliage, Food and WIne Festival, you must do so immediately! More events, more music, more people! We have a few spots left in the artisanal chocolate making course with Kate from Black Dinah Chocolates; we have a few rooms left for the weekend; and we can put you on the waiting list for our wine dinner with El El Frijoles. Tickets for the festival Sunday are available the day of so you can procrastinate at that, if you want.

Is your October this yummy? If not, come see us!

Hints of Autumn

Guests have been hiking and biking and eating lobster and scallops and duck and blueberry pancakes ("best ever"). Folks from England and France and Maine and all over the south have been loving the weather and the pretty New England scapes. All sorts of folks celebrated Maine Lighthouse Weekend with boatrides and flights and hikes. We are lucky to have so many both in Maine and close by. If you'd like a copy of "Lighthouses and Lobsters in DownEast and Acadia Region" full of information about them both, just call the inn.

I received a very fun email from a previous guest: "I married my high school sweetheart on April 30, 1983. We are both Vermonters of many generations, and we traveled to Maine with a stop or two in New Hampshire. I had been to the Bar Harbor area before and loved it. We stayed in many little inns, but yours stands out in my memory as something special. We were there sometime during the first week of May 1983. It would be kind of neat if you actually did have a book with an entry, because I am sure if there was a guest book, and you still have it, we would have written in it.

It was a very special night, having the whole place to ourselves. We were given the key, and told to enjoy the place as we wished. I remember the huge and wonderful kitchen. My wife and I both love to cook. Here we are almost 30 years later, with two of our children who are professional chefs. I am still in love with my wife, more today than ever. It does happen, even in this crazy world of today. You could say I met my soulmate, and we are joined forever.

If we ever get back up that way, you can count on a visit.

And you are right, you may own the place, but really it owns you for a short time. That is why we stayed in as many places like that as we could. I would not be writing to the Holiday Inn today."

You can see why I love my job! Although we have guest registers and menus books going back many years, I couldn't tell them much about their stay. Did I tell you about the waitress from 1967?! She and her husband stayed for a few nights recently and told me all sorts of tidbits from her summer here. I wonder what one of the first guests or waitstaff, from 1840, would have to say!

I'm noticing I like a symbol. Here at the inn one of our symbols has to be the Rackliffe coffee mug. I adore the blue and white mugs (they come in yellow as well) and love knowing that the clay is from East Blue Hill, just down the road. They are making us napkin rings as well as syrup pitchers and saucers--these aren't on their website but if you call them up and mention the Blue Hill Inn, they will know just what you mean!

We often talk about how to help guests extend the vacation feeling. I had a friend who would "point" the ends of the toilet paper from time to time at home! I will sometimes send guests away with a handful of pillow chocolates and suggest they do a turndown service for themselves (I tend to do this especially with guests who leave us to go camping--having your sleeping bag turned down at the end of the day and an organic chocolate on your pillow helps make that transition!). Serving warmed maple syrup in a Rackliffe pitcher is a certain method for continuing the vacation feeling!

Come try the maze! Could there be a better fall activity? The Homewood Farm is my favorite for strawberries and pumpkins, in part because they have springer spaniels!

From the guest book:
"What a wonderful place. Your gracious hospitality combined with the charm of the Inn and friendliness of guests made for a beautiful visit." Miami, FL
"We feel so lucky to have discovered Blue Hill and the Blue Hill Inn, both of which are idyllic. Thank you for a wonderful stay--it was perfect in every way." United Kingdom

If you aren't having a perfect time where you are, come see us!