tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845399833515898512024-03-13T00:59:36.834-05:00Elm Creek Manor blogThe official blog of Elm Creek Manor, Culinary Inn of Muenster, Texas.Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-980858691248540472020-10-10T15:56:00.001-05:002020-10-21T08:18:25.501-05:00Elm Creek Mascots<p><br /><br /></p><p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; text-indent: 0.769653pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’ve already been to the Manor, you have likely had a run in with Brennan and Bailey. These two little rambunctious critters are the unofficial ambassadors of Elm Creek Manor. They have been with us for years. Brennan is a Yorkie while Bailey is a Silky… they look like the same type of dog, and in fact they are close cousins, but technically a different breed. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJdkg1o64ov3DLbI4PIg8Wwer2huTu4BwUai5MspId9pzFZLF-Dg5ZTw6UQzlkqgULraLjeYVee8iVggNOV0PF7cIcwjXc84aS_j8woI0TX_eEQnt3lk2YJOygFDROv-Dy5P6qx90Ss8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1079" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJdkg1o64ov3DLbI4PIg8Wwer2huTu4BwUai5MspId9pzFZLF-Dg5ZTw6UQzlkqgULraLjeYVee8iVggNOV0PF7cIcwjXc84aS_j8woI0TX_eEQnt3lk2YJOygFDROv-Dy5P6qx90Ss8/" width="238" /></a></div><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-063a2f1c-7fff-2595-628d-0d656d017cc7"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 1.84100341796875pt; margin-top: 15.3353271484375pt; text-indent: 0.8026351928710938pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both breeds of Terrier were developed for the dual purpose of family pet and rodent destroyer. Yorkies came from England, and then were later brought to Australia where they were bred with Australian Terriers to produce a bit sturdier breed of dog as Aussie rodents were in general a bit sturdier breed of pest. If you’ve ever seen pictures of the gigantic Australian spiders, you know what I mean! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3227999687194825; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.197906494140625pt; margin-right: 1.84100341796875pt; margin-top: 15.231201171875pt; text-indent: 0.8246307373046875pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the end the real importance of why we chose our lovable little imps is that they have a coat that is more like human hair than other dogs with a traditional fur type coat. This is important because as you obviously know, our home is an inn as well. It was important for us to choose a companion type that was both good in a country setting complete with squirrels, field mice, and other rodents that might get into the gardens, and also not be an issue for guests with dog allergies. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3227999687194825; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.197906494140625pt; margin-right: 1.84100341796875pt; margin-top: 15.231201171875pt; text-indent: 0.8246307373046875pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnwYYBhlpQ1CJf37IdfRE8eMjXsdpXcAI3TU4zqebv8HMH5qETlTw9lz5iLzMMeGNvOLJwZdm4ymaHgsJVxjm7bib7NsgutN6ht3aY18SKcBdIE2iisfuXv3mYQ9p9agEjVVjNJcM02c/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1078" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnwYYBhlpQ1CJf37IdfRE8eMjXsdpXcAI3TU4zqebv8HMH5qETlTw9lz5iLzMMeGNvOLJwZdm4ymaHgsJVxjm7bib7NsgutN6ht3aY18SKcBdIE2iisfuXv3mYQ9p9agEjVVjNJcM02c/" width="237" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.03298187255859375pt; margin-right: 1.4620361328125pt; margin-top: 14.543701171875pt; text-indent: 0.7696533203125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of the difference in coat type, the hair style doesn’t produce dog dander, and therefore is considered to be safe for those with allergies to dog dander. This is good for us because Brennan and Bailey (or “Bobs” for short) are both very friendly and social animals, and often, Brennan will follow guests around the property. It’s very common that we will be looking for him and a guest will pop out of a room petting or holding him as he soaks up the attention, and they always say he came right in with us! Though, he’s quite obedient, it’s never been an issue when someone tells him to “stay” at the door. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.03298187255859375pt; margin-right: 1.4620361328125pt; margin-top: 14.543701171875pt; text-indent: 0.7696533203125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsr0qzD2pPOoshBrbfz6dO2JLNYHG-ziR56QAxrkU92vFW_eKOPx8cKGIfIuAdQG1Td-JyZW5K3O4Lude36wfnQRET-24nYw1jRviVp1_-sTMDhW_F5yKnozGdK9efp6TzdAvSNMBVOk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1075" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsr0qzD2pPOoshBrbfz6dO2JLNYHG-ziR56QAxrkU92vFW_eKOPx8cKGIfIuAdQG1Td-JyZW5K3O4Lude36wfnQRET-24nYw1jRviVp1_-sTMDhW_F5yKnozGdK9efp6TzdAvSNMBVOk/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.0989532470703125pt; margin-top: 14.481201171875pt; text-indent: 0.032989501953125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve had Yorkies since my children were very small, and now 2 of them have their own families with their own Yorkies. The quirks of their personalities are really interesting because it’s such an intelligent breed. Brennan is obsessed with squirrels and balls, whereas Bobs couldn’t be bothered, as she is more dainty like a flower. My daughter has a son of hers, Comet, from a litter she once had, and he is as spoiled as it comes. My daughter told me that she takes him with her to Starbucks each morning and he gets a “puppachino”. He’s still not too stuck up to get dirty with her 3 kids, though. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3182543754577636; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.197906494140625pt; margin-right: 6.08648681640625pt; margin-top: 15.231216430664062pt; text-indent: 0.8246307373046875pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xTCRMNBfGEewIkR5ieP4sHsrekM7T-qpgCMHtRAZQgaLyxW-MZ0733grSr96HferYh1YtezAJQASnMbwVAAaCOjEFP9oqLN2KFYPlF7beTXC8Swu5j041cz1xHoVWs9ZGhSt2U_kPUM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1089" data-original-width="1078" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xTCRMNBfGEewIkR5ieP4sHsrekM7T-qpgCMHtRAZQgaLyxW-MZ0733grSr96HferYh1YtezAJQASnMbwVAAaCOjEFP9oqLN2KFYPlF7beTXC8Swu5j041cz1xHoVWs9ZGhSt2U_kPUM/" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you come out to the Manor, we hope you get a chance to meet these fun loving little guys as they run around and check on the rest of the animals we have. Brennan seems to think he is a shepherd and spends a large portion of his time running around watching the goats and donkeys we have here, but he’s never too busy to come say hello and get his ears scratched!<p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-62250675112159786402020-10-07T17:26:00.002-05:002020-10-07T17:26:31.840-05:00Festing in Covid Times<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; text-indent: 0.131943pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_Hnn0XfMdxTV58LbwGu064kHMtR57azz7_t-C0yoET-mYhUg2UlP3E7yqRTT9yDEv9re6UcxeGRBxGNxkNQc-w02-HxrLKNFSVRS0LPXzhsLW_awxtw_8V8RxcX6M1ZutBfsVTeo80s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_Hnn0XfMdxTV58LbwGu064kHMtR57azz7_t-C0yoET-mYhUg2UlP3E7yqRTT9yDEv9re6UcxeGRBxGNxkNQc-w02-HxrLKNFSVRS0LPXzhsLW_awxtw_8V8RxcX6M1ZutBfsVTeo80s/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; text-indent: 0.131943pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once again, Oktoberfest is coming to Muenster. One nice thing about our place is that it is in itself a destination at a destination. If someone comes out here, they can visit fun kinds of places in the area. There are wineries, restaurants, and unique shopping options nearby that people really enjoy. But we are also a place that people can come to and have an entire experience without leaving the grounds. This is something we have that is unique in that it is an annual treat. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a47905ef-7fff-eb24-13ed-a8888ccd1b1d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3227999687194825; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.06597137451171875pt; margin-right: 0.0054931640625pt; margin-top: 15.293701171875pt; text-indent: 0.923583984375pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It feels so strange these days to think about a festival in a world where interoffice exchanges are often conducted from home in your pajamas. Here at Elm Creek we have changed our already stringent health policies to make sure that everyone is comfortable and safe to a point where we feel it competes with some hospitals. It became our new normal to be so sanitary. The idea of a festival is almost so foreign that I was curious about so many things about the application of such an event. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3150074005126953; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15.293701171875pt; text-indent: 0.9895553588867188pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I looked into it, and there was a fundraiser they used over the summer to see what practices were workable with the local community. From what they learned, they said they are implementing some precautionary measures. They said that it came down to requiring the food servers to wear masks, as well as the bartenders, and the patrons. Also, everyone entering the festival will be temperature tested, and all the tables will be spaced apart in safe distances along with physical dividers around the music stages that prevent large groups of people from gathering together. Throughout the festival there will also be many hand sanitizing stations as well as volunteers to circulate and remind people to maintain social distancing. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3182543754577636; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.16492462158203125pt; margin-right: 1.234619140625pt; margin-top: 15.365081787109375pt; text-indent: 0.8246307373046875pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was both surprised and relieved that they had put so much effort into looking at the safety of their guests. Being so long since social events were allowed, I guess they were willing to go the extra mile to make sure that the community could finally come together to celebrate the local culture. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3182543754577636; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.109954833984375pt; margin-right: 13.92315673828125pt; margin-top: 15.3353271484375pt; text-indent: 0.10994720458984375pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is always a fun time, with the typical festival accoutrement like cotton candy, art and craft vendors, beer and turkey legs. However, Oktoberfest adds uniquely German accents to the party with sausages, polka, chicken dancing, etc, as well as free admission if you wear lederhosen! There is also a very popular bicycle race that draws a lot of attention.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3182543754577636; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.109954833984375pt; margin-right: 13.92315673828125pt; margin-top: 15.3353271484375pt; text-indent: 0.10994720458984375pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfg20a1rb2AaMtdsMuhka4RxEOQMBCMwhnmKDf59tXeDdll6OoFc18NoChAuoqWxQLrzvJedidndn4Ueg6pVewYzWTLTPKg7RXT-MQZtwksCHC_4DYWwg9PUSvfmczPKp-ruOmI17TSY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="972" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfg20a1rb2AaMtdsMuhka4RxEOQMBCMwhnmKDf59tXeDdll6OoFc18NoChAuoqWxQLrzvJedidndn4Ueg6pVewYzWTLTPKg7RXT-MQZtwksCHC_4DYWwg9PUSvfmczPKp-ruOmI17TSY/" width="311" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3637114524841307; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.7806472778320312pt; margin-right: 20.1488037109375pt; margin-top: 15.335342407226562pt; text-indent: 0.2089080810546875pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are looking for a unique experience apart from an already unique experience, come to Muenster and join us at Elm Creek for a fun weekend you won’t forget.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-60214943595908440972020-10-07T17:16:00.000-05:002020-10-07T17:16:11.130-05:00Baby it's Cooler Outside<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; text-indent: -0.0989532pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This time of year is a nice period of change. The winds are blowing cooler and the days are getting shorter. Going away are the bluebirds, here to stay are some new birds. As fall approaches, I get to start looking at new outfits and old sweaters. My Christmas decorations are dangerously close to getting unpacked and new vegetables are growing in the garden. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7bde07bf-7fff-ab44-6d9e-b9fab99a3489"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3182543754577636; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.0989532470703125pt; margin-right: 18.361572265625pt; margin-top: 15.3353271484375pt; text-indent: 3.977569580078125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m excited to write a new fall menu as the seasons begin to change. With new plants producing new flavors, we are canning all the fruits left from the summer harvests. I’ve got a busy week starting with 3 cases of pears to preserve! Once canning and pickling of the summer growth finishes up, it’s a fun time of creative exploration. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3182543754577636; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.0989532470703125pt; margin-right: 18.361572265625pt; margin-top: 15.3353271484375pt; text-indent: 3.977569580078125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI607ZIR98QT61Q3K3Z5G1QofiII57rrU4P1AO47NIC31nzzeCtBHImxSs5hGlhk-SCh4jXN9H1RHGBRzk8aG-9umULy9n2Gf4QEcfzR1SK5OWdLmPa4XuCxs8qANj50SNXX2ltSq2gY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="1872" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI607ZIR98QT61Q3K3Z5G1QofiII57rrU4P1AO47NIC31nzzeCtBHImxSs5hGlhk-SCh4jXN9H1RHGBRzk8aG-9umULy9n2Gf4QEcfzR1SK5OWdLmPa4XuCxs8qANj50SNXX2ltSq2gY/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.03298187255859375pt; margin-right: 4.8197021484375pt; margin-top: 15.3353271484375pt; text-indent: 0.9895553588867188pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I, of course, have certain staples on the menu, but these times are always a great time to move forward and release creative energy with new ideas about dishes to put together. Recently, I had to do this unseasonably as a fox quite literally got in the hen house and we had to come up with a few less egg-based breakfast ideas. I reminisced on a trip to Tuscany and came up with a few locally nontraditional options. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2955258369445801; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5277633666992188pt; margin-right: 29.33758544921875pt; margin-top: 15.231201171875pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.18691253662109375pt; text-indent: -0.18691253662109375pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the popular items came in the form of some home grown fruit preserves and house made chevre, toasted on bread we bake fresh each morning to make a more breakfast styled bruschetta. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2528839111328125pt; margin-right: 7.15478515625pt; margin-top: 15.5435791015625pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.5607452392578125pt; text-indent: -0.5607452392578125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This time of year, however, it’s anticipated and proactive instead of a reactive bout of creativity. I’m looking forward to kicking into “hearty” gear and adding much more squash based dishes and new desserts. My son says that it never feels like summer is over until he smells rosemary in the kitchen.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.329618501663208; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2528839111328125pt; margin-right: 7.15478515625pt; margin-top: 15.5435791015625pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.5607452392578125pt; text-indent: -0.5607452392578125pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7lpCv8byi4tugCf2dvksQgEAotwHnMZ98b9kAdTDWUIpeQZflJ7ck2luQRv3YejnHmtBj1YbpfylLoHtStdBG3aFa_dsUfUJfrUGOMt7ycl6tfYHOszWoDewDV2FRggcFB8lJlGItsI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7lpCv8byi4tugCf2dvksQgEAotwHnMZ98b9kAdTDWUIpeQZflJ7ck2luQRv3YejnHmtBj1YbpfylLoHtStdBG3aFa_dsUfUJfrUGOMt7ycl6tfYHOszWoDewDV2FRggcFB8lJlGItsI/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3125722408294678; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.197906494140625pt; margin-top: 15.231201171875pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.197906494140625pt; text-indent: -0.197906494140625pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aside from the foods that we are switching up for the seasonal changes, we are also looking at the activities that we will be looking forward to. Summers end means that the pool won’t be quite the “hot commodity” it once was! Instead of lounging in the relaxing shade and lazily cooling off in the water, it’s time for warming up. S’mores by a fire and long walks around just watching the leaves change color oare the order of the day. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.995pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-78196770412217567962020-02-09T14:18:00.001-06:002020-02-09T14:45:38.398-06:00Spring Is Springing!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">Well, now that winter's chilly veil is wearing thin, and the robins are showing their red breasts for the first time this year, </span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">I </span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">can finally feel spring coming. This is a time of year that really makes me feel alive. The trees are still bare, but new life is seeping into nature.</span><br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7ktmM02sfuaQe6r4ES3_T9vPstIzXDRFdSxs4LPRAmQFyHywFhOLfezOsrMxdcnHgNvLOOBUk&s=10" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rISBZc M4dUYb" data-atf="0" data-deferred="1" height="226" id="_E2xAXtLDHcWMsQXNpaS4BA5" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7ktmM02sfuaQe6r4ES3_T9vPstIzXDRFdSxs4LPRAmQFyHywFhOLfezOsrMxdcnHgNvLOOBUk&s=10" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">Muenster is a great place to be in the spring. The Germans have a rich tradition of festivals. Most people are familiar with fall's Oktoberfest celebrations, being almost as culturally ubiquitous as St. </span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">Patrick's Day is with the Irish! The spring, however, is rich with its own set of activities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">In the coming months we look forward to Spring's crown jewel, Germanfest </span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">in April, but the last few years have added some very nice stones to the setting with two large crawfish boils, that bring the surrounding communities and the metroplex together with amazing bands and festivities. Alongside with the heavily catholic population here, meatless Fridays mean that I get to look forward to weekly fish fries held by the volunteer fire departments surrounding us and the Knights of Columbus. It is such a fun time to get together with friends I have not seen in too long, and make new ones I didn't know I'd missed in the first place!</span></div>
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</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><img alt="3rd Annual Crawfish Boil" border="0" class="pagePicture" height="281" src="https://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/11741/pictures/2016/2/crawfish.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" width="400" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=584539983351589851" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: small;">I mentioned the crawfish boils before, and I don't want them to be understated. The last few years have seen these fledgling operations grow from local fundraisers into big time festivals! The first, the </span><span style="font-family: "roboto";">Sacred</span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: small;"> Heart School fundraiser opens the season and they are bringing a band I recently fell in love with, Prophets and Outlaws. Im not personally a huge fan of the Texas country music, as my boys call it, having grown up more with a taste for Billy Joel and Naked Eyes (not to date myself), but this one caught my ear. My oldest son played them nonstop one afternoon while he was working on his old truck with Brad, and </span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">I </span><span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">got hooked. When they announced the lineup included them, I immediately bought us some tickets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">The other big Crawfish boil, the Muenster Volunteer Fire Department Annual Mudbug Bash is a little more raucous an occasion. This one is a bit bigger an event that I may not personally attend, but all my kids and apparently a couple of cousins are coming to town for this year. The announced headliner is the Toadies, who I remember from the blaring stereos of my kids in high school, but never really personally was too attached to. There are a few other bands playing that are 80's hair rock style from what I can tell. Im sure it will be fun, but I think I will just look forward to seeing the kids enjoy this one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "roboto"; font-size: 12pt;">So since Punxsutawney Phil saw no shadow this year, let spring be sprung and as they say in New Orleans, Les bon temps rouler!</span></div>
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<br />Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-53517468857578878572020-01-24T12:12:00.000-06:002020-01-24T16:36:45.766-06:00Fall or Christmas Outdoor Decorating with Nature<br />
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Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Some would say I go "a little crazy". <br />
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Having lived all over the world as a youngster, I have seen Christmas decorating in all cultures and all walks of life.<br />
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People mistakenly believe they need to go out and spend a great deal of money to achieve amazing eye popping decor. <br />
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Actually, nature provides some of the best decor for you!<br />
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Some hints on how to get fresh greenery... If you do not live in an area that has a variety of greenery, where you may go out and fresh cut, then stop by your local tree lot. When the tree lots cut off the bottom of the Christmas tree for customers, they are happy for you to collect the branches. You would be surprised how many branches and varieties of greenery you are able to collect. They just throw that away.<br />
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We put all delicate plants away before the first freeze. We then fill our pots with a variety of cuttings, and evergreen branches such as Holly, Nandina, Pyracantha, Fir, Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, etc, be creative (you may need to replace them after a month -but hey- they are free).<br />
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As the months grow cooler, many bushes produce beautiful and vibrant berries. Look around your yard or neighborhood and gather many of these.</div>
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Take your empty pot or urn and make sure you have some soil in them (helps prevent them from blowing over and holds water). These cuttings are still alive and will absorb the water in the soil and stay fresh longer (feel free to water it if you live in a dry climate).</div>
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In the fall, we place a variety of our leftover veggies from the garden, such as corn, pumpkin, squash, okra (we let okra and squash get large and tough to use as decor), in and around the pots. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQtUAQfWC5hrUuyh_3mhx3ZxrKvPQZ3aaNwqbDowL8-MNHTYY7OKDZ-NLNstlJKa3wBiR7T68qFeMuIIPMn9Xqjb3obKJcTSJnsxhHiolfcDeGWVVxbFZFMSAv_Ej7_xAZYmL_Yvz_jU/s1600/890E312A-B1CD-4EEA-9D0A-0B5637CEACBC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQtUAQfWC5hrUuyh_3mhx3ZxrKvPQZ3aaNwqbDowL8-MNHTYY7OKDZ-NLNstlJKa3wBiR7T68qFeMuIIPMn9Xqjb3obKJcTSJnsxhHiolfcDeGWVVxbFZFMSAv_Ej7_xAZYmL_Yvz_jU/s640/890E312A-B1CD-4EEA-9D0A-0B5637CEACBC.jpeg" width="480" /></a>When the Christmas Season is upon us, we take away the fall veggies and add Winter flair.<br />
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Make a garland of cheap plastic Christmas balls. Collect, fun shaped sticks, and branches that have lost their leaves. I often spray them gold, red, silver or leave natural to create a beautiful tall accent in pots.<br />
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Our flowers do not go back out into nature until March, so we see our Christmas decor morph into "Winter Decor". We remove the balls and other obvious Christmas decor, refresh the greenery in the pots so they look fresh, and we continue to have a Winter theme. <br />
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I have found that after you have used nature for your decor, and you have made your first pot, you will begin to notice and spot beautiful things to decorate your outdoors with! <br />
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I have been known to stop the car and jump out and cut a unique evergreen from the side of the road (be careful to respect private property).</div>
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Be sure and use some of your fresh greenery indoors to bring in that wonderful winter scent and creative beautiful garlands or swags.</div>
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Have fun and do not limit your imagination!</div>
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<br />Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-41155585753309615832019-10-29T11:38:00.001-05:002019-10-29T11:38:17.333-05:00Three Sisters Planting Method<div style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 10px 10px 0px;">
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European settlers arrived in America in the early 1600s, American Indians had been growing the “three sisters” for over three hundred years, by this point.</div>
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The vegetables sustained the Native Americans existence along with meat and nuts</div>
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In an Indian folklore, the plants were a gift from the gods, always to be grown together, eaten together, and celebrated together.</div>
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Each of the sisters contributes something to the planting. Together, the sisters provide a balanced diet from a single planting. </div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">As the eldest sister, the corn offers the beans needed support and a climbing tower.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The beans, the caring sister, pull nitrogen from the air and bring it to the soil for the benefit of all three. </li>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">As the beans grow through the squash vines and up the cornstalks toward the sunlight, they hold the sisters close together.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The large leaves of the squash protects the three plants by creating living mulch that shades the soil, keeps it cooler, moist and prevents weeds.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The prickly squash leaves also deter pests.</li>
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Together, the three sisters create sustainable soil fertility as they provide you a healthy diet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkhfqffzGVvtSb3ND7rDsxYgPA_mV4-6f0htLrGOycAVARJ-mmz56OHj5F1f75vuHpQZ-xXJULP2fM2rJfbFelJ6G01H6-pKfnwfWpyo_IEjlPdliJVT_urdLuy9Y5JDWsZyJfGc2GdU/s1600/5A9B0E84-9217-4570-8CD2-E6B1845288E0_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkhfqffzGVvtSb3ND7rDsxYgPA_mV4-6f0htLrGOycAVARJ-mmz56OHj5F1f75vuHpQZ-xXJULP2fM2rJfbFelJ6G01H6-pKfnwfWpyo_IEjlPdliJVT_urdLuy9Y5JDWsZyJfGc2GdU/s320/5A9B0E84-9217-4570-8CD2-E6B1845288E0_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wonderful!</div>
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We plant the corn in early May (after last frost). Soak the seeds for 4 hours before planting in a slight hill or elevated row and keep the soil moist<br />
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When the corn plants are 6" tall we plant squash, pumpkin or zucchini between every other corn. <br />
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Then plant pole beans in the skipped spaces. We plant this in long rows, many forms of this technique suggest circles or a square pattern. We find the circle/square is harder to maintain and weed. The row method allows access on both sides to pick vegetables and weed.<br />
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Note that this style of planting should be repeated each year as the nitrogen converted by the beans, will not be left till the plants are nearly mature and they have broken down. You may need to use organic fertilizer the first year. <br />
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One little trick Brad loves to do is as the watermelon, cantaloupe and pumpkin vines are dying, he plants his seeds for snow peas in the ground. The vines add a bit of warmth and protection to the young plants. While they are about 6 in long and have not spread- he cuts the summer plants away and lifts then off the new peas. <br />
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Enjoy and love you garden!<br />
<br />Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-80594302018028774182019-09-06T12:09:00.001-05:002019-09-06T12:09:16.489-05:00Pear Harvest Time & Pear Tart Time <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIiZRLRI-4couWh1NE_JtcuY0LFXvv3HAJ7n2HecYUXFzg4yeCf5AS-sYk7TNl_TrIR25ZI1OWAD_u1h582SMkPjwZkFv6wYll-z_AO_1zbJFcivx3Fc68PsQNbIRDmi5foQpgJ06EkE/s1600/3858E3B8-6C60-4721-AC5F-FC266B263564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIiZRLRI-4couWh1NE_JtcuY0LFXvv3HAJ7n2HecYUXFzg4yeCf5AS-sYk7TNl_TrIR25ZI1OWAD_u1h582SMkPjwZkFv6wYll-z_AO_1zbJFcivx3Fc68PsQNbIRDmi5foQpgJ06EkE/s320/3858E3B8-6C60-4721-AC5F-FC266B263564.jpg" width="320" /></a>One of our largest crops would be our Pear harvest. We pick nearly 500lbs of pears each fall. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKVgDuZsJoUFbDpqap0pi5VfoFKTVyyfE5VT5F9hGf7ipBWHHShu43pMHdW-wcUm8ouhywYNtM-suBTDUnD320jFP3bD_RJRC9_uUBP5hItQ7mXd3XIzAvaGQPc4iVAha4Fz-ZnzzVO8/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1814.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="707" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKVgDuZsJoUFbDpqap0pi5VfoFKTVyyfE5VT5F9hGf7ipBWHHShu43pMHdW-wcUm8ouhywYNtM-suBTDUnD320jFP3bD_RJRC9_uUBP5hItQ7mXd3XIzAvaGQPc4iVAha4Fz-ZnzzVO8/s200/fullsizeoutput_1814.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Pear has become such a versatile fruit for us. It gives us so many uses.<br />
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We keep about 50 lbs in a cool dry dark location sprinkled with dry lime. We will be able to use the fresh pear in salads, desserts and breakfast fruit for nearly 4 months. <br />
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The remaining 450 lbs, we peel, core and freeze in bags of 16 pears each. This gives me food to use for the winter months when the garden is far more selective in what it will produce. Freezing food in a quality manner is a good way to preserve foods. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuvKL9JPHH0XPMdaL4URQ8l2eC-EUU5mAJXh5au510VOJ0rBMtxcoga3fhE7Xc5jz3L_d-pSjdCm9szOrZ_kBppRA08SV4RkixJquiC_9aZtjfq1bSMs6xK_DLqJGVvOZxcNp0E3ui-0/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1760.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="815" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuvKL9JPHH0XPMdaL4URQ8l2eC-EUU5mAJXh5au510VOJ0rBMtxcoga3fhE7Xc5jz3L_d-pSjdCm9szOrZ_kBppRA08SV4RkixJquiC_9aZtjfq1bSMs6xK_DLqJGVvOZxcNp0E3ui-0/s200/fullsizeoutput_1760.jpeg" width="194" /></a><br />
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We also dry about 50lbs as well, that we serve on our Charcuterie trays. Typically we dry, pear, fig, and cantaloupe each year for the Charcuterie Trays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLle72G46Bs0wY7ermq3CzoiXFuGN8zZau8FLn0EEmUURuuOTKVtYg_tGVzZYWTyhnRpgWPvllw34Cj5Xx1muXZwJ0X6kBfAiWCPOxQwskXHiPL0SU1YEj7P9FwItVQSsz4fLVga-kNA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1813.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLle72G46Bs0wY7ermq3CzoiXFuGN8zZau8FLn0EEmUURuuOTKVtYg_tGVzZYWTyhnRpgWPvllw34Cj5Xx1muXZwJ0X6kBfAiWCPOxQwskXHiPL0SU1YEj7P9FwItVQSsz4fLVga-kNA/s320/fullsizeoutput_1813.jpeg" width="195" /></a><br />
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One of my main uses for pear is to get a large 8-gallon pot and place the frozen pears (96) on a very low stove for 6 hours. I will often add a bit of honey, cinnamon, nutmeg near the end. I pour off the liquid (which is usually about 2 gallon) for our pear juice to serve with breakfast. Then I use my immersible blender and emulsify the pears. I use this puree for charcuterie pear butter, for fruit kolaches, I add it to make my curried pear vinegarette and I<br />
use it in some of my fruit bread.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkh0LG1JLKcKZDroN7-Vvg1BPK3TWOXKKCrokjfScRcCbk8jCJZEfRGF6oP3TlaofDbFRcOA-o9o9z2Nk3nI5alr-kOupZmM298X_KWBqFQ-Q6zM2mFi8IJ7204mgD0v4ZdDFnRGALlw4/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1812.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="733" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkh0LG1JLKcKZDroN7-Vvg1BPK3TWOXKKCrokjfScRcCbk8jCJZEfRGF6oP3TlaofDbFRcOA-o9o9z2Nk3nI5alr-kOupZmM298X_KWBqFQ-Q6zM2mFi8IJ7204mgD0v4ZdDFnRGALlw4/s320/fullsizeoutput_1812.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h2>
French Country Tarte</h2>
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<section style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="o-Ingredients" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="o-Ingredients__m-Header" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="o-Ingredients__m-TextWrap" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span class="o-Ingredients__a-HeadlineText" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients</span></h3>
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Crust:</h6>
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1/2 cup whole-grain flour or whole wheat flour</div>
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1/2 cup ground oats</div>
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3 teaspoons granulated sugar</div>
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1/4 teaspoon salt</div>
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4 tablespoons cold butter or coconut oil</div>
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2 tablespoons yogurt</div>
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3 table of spoons ice water</div>
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Filling:</h6>
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4 medium pears</div>
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1 tablespoon lemon juice</div>
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1 tablespoon cornstarch</div>
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2 tablespoons brown sugar</div>
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1T Honey</div>
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1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div>
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1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg</div>
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1 C good quality ricotta mixed w/ 1 C powdered sugar</div>
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Glaze:</h6>
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1 tablespoon honey</div>
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1/4 teaspoon boiling water</div>
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<header class="o-Method__m-Header" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="o-Method__m-TextWrap" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h3 class="o-Method__a-Headline" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 1.35; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="o-Method__a-HeadlineText" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Directions</span></h3>
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</header><section class="o-Method" data-module="recipe-method" data-read-more-target="" id="mod-recipe-method-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="o-Method__m-Body" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; counter-reset: step-ctr 0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 700px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ol style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="o-Method__m-Step" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 20px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crust: whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Add the butter - cut the butter into the flour mixture until you get a pea size course texture. Combine the yogurt and ice water. Using a fork, gradually mix the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture. Pat the dough into a 5-inch round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 25 min.</li>
<li class="o-Method__m-Step" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and prepare the filling. Peel the pears, core them and cut into 1/4-inch slices ( use a mandolin if you have it). In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar, nutmeg, honey, and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.</li>
<li class="o-Method__m-Step" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Place the dough in the bottom of a tart pan. Press chilled dough to the edges and up the pan sides. If the dough breaks - patch it up with your fingers.</li>
<li class="o-Method__m-Step" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">spread the ricotta mixture on the bottom of the pan. Arrange the pears in a fan effect around the top to form a pattern.</li>
<li class="o-Method__m-Step" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bake the tart for 15 minutes at 425, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, keeping the tart in the oven all the while, and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown.</li>
<li class="o-Method__m-Step" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 20px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a small bowl stir together the honey and boiling water to make a glaze. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and brush the honey glaze all over the top of the fruit and crust. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm or room temperature with vanilla ice-cream or fresh whipped cream.</li>
</ol>
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</section></div>
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<br />Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-2596835112265479872019-06-22T14:07:00.005-05:002019-06-22T14:30:39.212-05:00Cold Cocktail Time By the Pool!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf77AqShR0IWyWc9-LtUBagYxaMQ63VMdx6_JuJh0gXwKNzD1lm8g6V01d5X1TFwKBwZLT-ixhZGhbPoCtTz41yUnBCK38mnx5CSzLXdA2_6_rusGlWkFJCJthubR0Q1z6htZQJ0aGpA/s1600/IMG_2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf77AqShR0IWyWc9-LtUBagYxaMQ63VMdx6_JuJh0gXwKNzD1lm8g6V01d5X1TFwKBwZLT-ixhZGhbPoCtTz41yUnBCK38mnx5CSzLXdA2_6_rusGlWkFJCJthubR0Q1z6htZQJ0aGpA/s320/IMG_2373.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
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<b style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: white;"> Pool time - Fun time! </span></b></h2>
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This time of year, nothing says summer better than easing back into a chaise lounge, with a cold delicious cocktail in your hand. As you close your eyes and slowly melt into the cushion with the trickling sound of water cascading from the pool fountain, you begin to feel the slow yet soothing waves of relaxation take over.<br />
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Wait - let's add the cocktail!<br />
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Daniel- our favorite Cocktail maker and son, has given us an amazing Craft Margarita, which he will be showcasing for us at our wild and crazy Fourth of July bash!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAecF1T4lvi68dKHoR7sDl4z_ZtnisYuMK9ITTfQfW3rBURCjirDVoMTPNcLruHps8_ywiYu_UcewSKmU2PSc4AQUr8qXhugfdIaNd9HfmasE9SdKNd5B8KfWgcVCXr9gBsZpE3ynHNFs/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1635.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="828" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAecF1T4lvi68dKHoR7sDl4z_ZtnisYuMK9ITTfQfW3rBURCjirDVoMTPNcLruHps8_ywiYu_UcewSKmU2PSc4AQUr8qXhugfdIaNd9HfmasE9SdKNd5B8KfWgcVCXr9gBsZpE3ynHNFs/s320/fullsizeoutput_1635.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: red;"><span style="color: white;"><b> Daniels Secret Craft Margarita Recipe: </b></span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Squeeze 2 small or 1 large lime, & 1/4 orange into shaker. Drop squeezed orange and 1/8 cut of squeezed lime into skaker</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">1.5 oz tequila </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">.75 oz grand marnier (or orange liquor of choice)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">3 Finely cut slices of fresh jalapeno </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">If you prefer sweeter taste, add spoonful of agave nectar </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Shake hard, add ice, shake again</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Garnish with salt mixed with cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Amazing!!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGQUhebpGYiWxdOAXerUTip6tpYLV7yvRPYd-ih_4_3IiEc70-yy6kQWmyhFxYNrItag0eoqwjhigBHJauXdeioETwiSq_4TOgxIQcklg2G4-ZzGZHzNm-yM0PkTgFheelpKT-3XFHTY/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1637.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGQUhebpGYiWxdOAXerUTip6tpYLV7yvRPYd-ih_4_3IiEc70-yy6kQWmyhFxYNrItag0eoqwjhigBHJauXdeioETwiSq_4TOgxIQcklg2G4-ZzGZHzNm-yM0PkTgFheelpKT-3XFHTY/s320/fullsizeoutput_1637.jpeg" width="180" /></span></a></div>
<h2>
<b style="background-color: #38761d;"><span style="color: white;"> My Captain Morgan Rum Punch </span></b></h2>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 OZ </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://us.captainmorgan.com/rum-drink/coconut-rum" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">CAPTAIN MORGAN COCONUT RUM</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 OZ ORANGE JUICE</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 OZ RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT JUICE (do not use canned)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 OZ CRANBERRY JUICE </span></div>
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<div class="contentEditor letter29 recipe-ingredients" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">squeeze of lemon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tsp honey</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">HOW TO MAKE:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />1. COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS INCLUDING CAPTAIN MORGAN COCONUT RUM IN A PITCHER AND STIR. </span></div>
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<h2>
<span style="background-color: purple; color: white;"> Marcia's Midori Splash! </span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHUnZAzsW2PREXWhfGVEbf3B9PXBuWA0VN_rTGRF5sNJALe4VpQqsKdQlwcwcu0UP_z7qo-9zaDhTykGpFQyfEgDK-Klptg-cris65dr6slRrm3G3O_QCBSKGTbK1IyL-zOCQ64OwIug/s1600/IMG_0899.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHUnZAzsW2PREXWhfGVEbf3B9PXBuWA0VN_rTGRF5sNJALe4VpQqsKdQlwcwcu0UP_z7qo-9zaDhTykGpFQyfEgDK-Klptg-cris65dr6slRrm3G3O_QCBSKGTbK1IyL-zOCQ64OwIug/s320/IMG_0899.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.4; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">
Ingredients</h3>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 16px 2em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">2 ounces Midori </li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">1-ounce vodka </li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">1-ounce coconut rum</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">3 ounces of orange juice </li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">2 ounces ginger ale </li>
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Instructions</h3>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">Shake all the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker. </li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">Pour over ice into a highball glass. </li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0.5em 0px;">Garnish with melon balls, and serve.</li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 17px;">Do Not Drink and Drive. Stay at Elm Creek Maonr! Enjoy Your Summer!!</span></span></div>
Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-38594736076444659482019-06-01T12:40:00.000-05:002019-06-01T12:40:28.818-05:00Spring Always Brings Lots of Growth and Births At the Manor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXCwpuU0pofnhosPNta3uIeDe41UVd-LdQy_m2lpk9di3-pWQi0ejmiFUMUx1JBEpwvEFKP8u3tSB_rsicSrSa78s6fuyhJd3YGFI9QOeQjXTpF8VOcI3OXqZr40wZiLV3TK_IArTzxY/s1600/8FB1D9F0-BA7F-442A-B71A-A13079A406D3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXCwpuU0pofnhosPNta3uIeDe41UVd-LdQy_m2lpk9di3-pWQi0ejmiFUMUx1JBEpwvEFKP8u3tSB_rsicSrSa78s6fuyhJd3YGFI9QOeQjXTpF8VOcI3OXqZr40wZiLV3TK_IArTzxY/s200/8FB1D9F0-BA7F-442A-B71A-A13079A406D3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As a Fully Farm to Table Inn, renewal is a necessary and rewarding necessity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLvdbgfm-a76NOP04vHoqgOBhtsvVo6jwZ6xrOTeQ5Z2cxtr2jtiXGZo7AaiI_EBXFztgOXu-X2QtKfdG2hQlom-B6OFqAIL-hYR-PU_WiGKPP7DUom-memWnctU-0FN6W_ejgrMT9EA/s1600/gB57SO80R3mAPM0hGEUNFA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLvdbgfm-a76NOP04vHoqgOBhtsvVo6jwZ6xrOTeQ5Z2cxtr2jtiXGZo7AaiI_EBXFztgOXu-X2QtKfdG2hQlom-B6OFqAIL-hYR-PU_WiGKPP7DUom-memWnctU-0FN6W_ejgrMT9EA/s200/gB57SO80R3mAPM0hGEUNFA.jpg" width="150" /></a>Master Chef, Marcia creates all of our artisan cheeses from our own Goats milk. Typically we have 2-3 dairy goats at all times. With this number of lady goats, we receive about 1 1/2 - 2 Gallons a day. Half of our milk goes into Chevre and the other half is used to create our hard cheeses ( Gouda, Cheddar, Asiago, Gorgonzola, etc). <br />
This year we have 8 little adorable kids, that bound around the pastures and show off to our guests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTgNOluMlHtvaXkN3o9PlpS4vE6kB_F97vjBeRHZYQBnkvaYmjQonax2iQUJZyS-e1IQK8344Gc66sXZlLnUFt_66QaGIdVaEnLENhZt67EJwyLFE-oj8PGcKf3dth5RR2-i61-PeOmI/s1600/IMG_2504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTgNOluMlHtvaXkN3o9PlpS4vE6kB_F97vjBeRHZYQBnkvaYmjQonax2iQUJZyS-e1IQK8344Gc66sXZlLnUFt_66QaGIdVaEnLENhZt67EJwyLFE-oj8PGcKf3dth5RR2-i61-PeOmI/s200/IMG_2504.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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Many of our egg hens are naturally broody and we encourage this natural method of hatching chicks. We do not use heaters or artificial methods to hatch our chics. Typically in one year, we have 7-9 hens that will hatch out approx 70-90 egg laying chickens. We keep the younger hens and allow these hens to lay for 2 years. After that time we use them as meat for our family, but not guests, as they are larger and not as tender as our younger meat chickens, we use for the guest's entrees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWo60OvUzaqpY24yNCOHkOVB9tkLej0jtQeyDxdod5EhDEeAVwzhsQud2ctGsy75bqCFnrV-ivvP85KgEEismkwab2uZwW2PIfd-jQLofB9kh7Y_BZS8Ght5dBN6vzcPU_35cnEZeTw8/s1600/%2525oyaUNnQTqKK%252BJhzwZsT1Q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWo60OvUzaqpY24yNCOHkOVB9tkLej0jtQeyDxdod5EhDEeAVwzhsQud2ctGsy75bqCFnrV-ivvP85KgEEismkwab2uZwW2PIfd-jQLofB9kh7Y_BZS8Ght5dBN6vzcPU_35cnEZeTw8/s200/%2525oyaUNnQTqKK%252BJhzwZsT1Q.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4U_Es7DCZ9enIjFlaro6AOJ7_H-8_0-qyBY5IU3RDoKAEhD41-_gmMAf_varP1wL_svght8TuAfO6q5SkNBg2NH2HIA6jUMcegJ0Uc70LPX2ScWO0SPV_UeMFqvuNHz7eiVtF1hTc8PU/s1600/z8VZM9UoRYixEF7dqArWdA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4U_Es7DCZ9enIjFlaro6AOJ7_H-8_0-qyBY5IU3RDoKAEhD41-_gmMAf_varP1wL_svght8TuAfO6q5SkNBg2NH2HIA6jUMcegJ0Uc70LPX2ScWO0SPV_UeMFqvuNHz7eiVtF1hTc8PU/s200/z8VZM9UoRYixEF7dqArWdA.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0lYEEoyGA40M8N1LK5D5lzqPgLboq4iLgkWr4A7VEmatbpCmcNMKJG8dokhB7ZWhYBmflmBgtkNghYWzPhmzO83MJvtW7T3XKp1Ou-Y20BQTlg7EVC3sGJpAiUFEKzP6QwteEcq1JKk/s1600/PnjDu%2525S3R4Ot9Rnp8otyUw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0lYEEoyGA40M8N1LK5D5lzqPgLboq4iLgkWr4A7VEmatbpCmcNMKJG8dokhB7ZWhYBmflmBgtkNghYWzPhmzO83MJvtW7T3XKp1Ou-Y20BQTlg7EVC3sGJpAiUFEKzP6QwteEcq1JKk/s320/PnjDu%2525S3R4Ot9Rnp8otyUw.jpg" width="240" /></a>We maintain an Aquaponic greenhouse year round and plant traditionally as well. Our Spring/Summer gardens are the big suppliers for our fruit and vegetables. The volume of fruits and vegetables that are gathered from this garden provides us with not only our fresh supplies to feed our guests amazing breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, but allows us to pickle many of the vegetables that we use for our Charcuterie trays. We also dry many of the fruits and vegetables to use throughout the Fall/Winter when the Fall/Winter garden is not offering the variety we are Blessed with, in the Summer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCYNe2dfRlOx-PgefbPUIWBe-fAweniYSH4G6CSKtYxM9D3XEuKDVzEU5v8qs_UE5Xfglc-00NygMbGs690ofMpjaplUmaP1GND5knA2aHIhqGkqxo_-wSykqhK_gaS91Bue0HJEtBNA/s1600/UKT7VC0GQKSrufmS%2525rT4tw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCYNe2dfRlOx-PgefbPUIWBe-fAweniYSH4G6CSKtYxM9D3XEuKDVzEU5v8qs_UE5Xfglc-00NygMbGs690ofMpjaplUmaP1GND5knA2aHIhqGkqxo_-wSykqhK_gaS91Bue0HJEtBNA/s320/UKT7VC0GQKSrufmS%2525rT4tw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also practice a very traditional and ancient farming method called "three sisters" </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When the corn is 6 inches tall, beans and squash are planted around the corn, alternating between the two kinds of seeds. This agricultural knowledge has been used for 5,000–6,500 years. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The three crops benefit from each other. The corn provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">to the soil</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, helping prevent the establishment of weeds.</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">", creating a microclimate t</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">o retain moisture in the soil and the prickly hairs of the</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> vine deter pests that bother the corn and beans.</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> Nature working to help nature in a healthy and organic ecosystem. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj_nzxEFpo-j0jyt0nAJ8cA1yKu2Srjk79L1NqVniQHyS0B3tok_geYXY5PHpJEuKlrDS0wK28wVDFymgL3LETrkaxBp3WUhEnjmNZlZ9eJh0zc2VOw7l6R5A2OQFc5tCClbEGdcl4cQ/s1600/guk5C07BRlGe2RkIc7dTqw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj_nzxEFpo-j0jyt0nAJ8cA1yKu2Srjk79L1NqVniQHyS0B3tok_geYXY5PHpJEuKlrDS0wK28wVDFymgL3LETrkaxBp3WUhEnjmNZlZ9eJh0zc2VOw7l6R5A2OQFc5tCClbEGdcl4cQ/s320/guk5C07BRlGe2RkIc7dTqw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-7464292834757417652019-05-06T13:04:00.000-05:002019-05-06T13:07:14.090-05:00Wild Foraging <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi0cM94B5ztl6tu3eP12g6XsHl1OiNJ7m1Up4HQ5EzVmfdRiMGbmd1YYkiUI1uCt7SFmfkfVoeqMOhVN9Jtr4OhzBCzXyxQIBaXyGdTlgYtg5BAve2_T_lfz1xopLMNG9BXtBiJ-zfdA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14b6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1043" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi0cM94B5ztl6tu3eP12g6XsHl1OiNJ7m1Up4HQ5EzVmfdRiMGbmd1YYkiUI1uCt7SFmfkfVoeqMOhVN9Jtr4OhzBCzXyxQIBaXyGdTlgYtg5BAve2_T_lfz1xopLMNG9BXtBiJ-zfdA/s200/fullsizeoutput_14b6.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dandelion</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of my favorite times of year is Spring. As Brad is an Organic Farmer and me, a Master Chef, we are always looking for unique and lovely foods to enhance and highlight the meals we prepare for guests. Mother Nature is the best artist in the world and is very creative; growing unique, strange and wonderful things that are delicious and edible. These little gems are able to be found through “Wild Foraging”. Foraging for wild food is a great way to experience the natural world and connect with something ancient and primal within ourselves. Each spring and summer you can find us out foraging for amazing foods such as our coveted Morel Mushroom<span style="background-color: white;">s, <span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Curley dock, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Lady Fern Fiddleheads, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Ramps/wild leek, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Dandelion Flowers, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Chickweed, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Clover, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">Wildbriar Shoots and</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9hgK1IJOhnCRDJUQYidAwH1odIdVW8OVCcBXn0pBTn0oqo7yo1kx0m0xII66L6BnJVkISW3HkAVL6aFVLxKbnNHypi9M0QqVMKRPw6zGQIJDs6YImrSOGjx3nT6R3tVRuQyS2RmBIzo/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14b5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="762" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9hgK1IJOhnCRDJUQYidAwH1odIdVW8OVCcBXn0pBTn0oqo7yo1kx0m0xII66L6BnJVkISW3HkAVL6aFVLxKbnNHypi9M0QqVMKRPw6zGQIJDs6YImrSOGjx3nT6R3tVRuQyS2RmBIzo/s200/fullsizeoutput_14b5.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chickory</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Watercress. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have included some photos to see how pretty </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and fresh these wild things can be.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdNq6FzRIhUAWoynIWwBqDHuNp6YSvqygYIkclEUUwKpjzTFLxOvGBpFPJGOnhPFCh60Z-aFkif8tmU9JLgnIGmxtur2QRTNsGs1RtdWLmHv2xDQdTwbEDO8KgEp-0zZKqLAboHHuKDI/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14b7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="756" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdNq6FzRIhUAWoynIWwBqDHuNp6YSvqygYIkclEUUwKpjzTFLxOvGBpFPJGOnhPFCh60Z-aFkif8tmU9JLgnIGmxtur2QRTNsGs1RtdWLmHv2xDQdTwbEDO8KgEp-0zZKqLAboHHuKDI/s200/fullsizeoutput_14b7.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prickly Pear</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Several Rules apply to wild foraging. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bitter" , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">1)</span><span style="font-family: "bitter" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Never consume wild food unless you are 100% sure of its identification. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica";">2)Know the look-alike plants (some look alike are poisonous).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhfDHMlzHAx0QNfmObin4oTjIDiyy6GIlqF99gugCe4_Hd5PEips-aoeKJvHrp8TN2KxbAW8Le1Auo5wo43j_yBPG_eRV-_oCXIBQMSmM1xr3RlXutVM6YUfrq7n7WPusQf9orWx3Qic/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14b9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="888" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhfDHMlzHAx0QNfmObin4oTjIDiyy6GIlqF99gugCe4_Hd5PEips-aoeKJvHrp8TN2KxbAW8Le1Auo5wo43j_yBPG_eRV-_oCXIBQMSmM1xr3RlXutVM6YUfrq7n7WPusQf9orWx3Qic/s200/fullsizeoutput_14b9.jpeg" width="191" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica";"></span><br />
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3)Know the season to pick each plant, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica";">4) Don't harvest all the plants, leave some to grow wild, so they go to seed and replenish for next year, prepare your wild things correctly. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica";">5)</span><span style="font-family: "bitter" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Never pick in places subjected to pollution</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bitter" , serif; font-size: 16px;">6) Go slowly try a new plant in small bits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bitter" , serif; font-size: 16px;">7) Avoid all plants with white berries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bitter" , serif; font-size: 16px;">8) Try to avoid plants with white sap (some exceptions- Dandelion, Fig, Thistle</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tJLWVNlLjOPb53FyN5bqIUHZisoAj6VFRZfvnLNTFybmTT4q01sNpYtREgX2CuwepYlpKIXxHusMoi1QTrQwH6vpi9SEjM5AMgveBhU0ci9tXFp0Y03M3glGxUlMUZp8qqU7OggPxfA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14b8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="861" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tJLWVNlLjOPb53FyN5bqIUHZisoAj6VFRZfvnLNTFybmTT4q01sNpYtREgX2CuwepYlpKIXxHusMoi1QTrQwH6vpi9SEjM5AMgveBhU0ci9tXFp0Y03M3glGxUlMUZp8qqU7OggPxfA/s320/fullsizeoutput_14b8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Mustang Grape</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Foraging is a wonderful thing to learn for oneself and to t</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">each </span>others<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> to respect nature and learn about the environment.</span></span></div>
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-70924283099386502932019-02-17T15:39:00.002-06:002019-02-17T15:39:55.697-06:00The Night Belongs to the Mud Bug!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"> Crawfish boil night is one of our local annual fundraisers that I love, the Sacred Heart School Crawfish Boil. I'll be honest... I'm a convert. I never liked crawfish. I have become a tail cracking, corn eating, full fan, lover of the mudbug!</span></div>
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<a href="https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/11741/pictures/2016/2/crawfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3rd Annual Crawfish Boil" border="0" class="pagePicture" src="https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/11741/pictures/2016/2/crawfish.jpg" /></a><span style="font-kerning: none;">My kids went to school at Sacred Heart, so I went to the first of these annual events to support the school, but I had a blast! I caught up with old friends and made new ones. The first year I would not go near the crawfish, I just enjoyed the company and the band. They always bring in a great act.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10419602_10205111228013709_9132856515562304464_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQle7X_NbEfNXNx8vGGI6K7tGQp9bzh0kk5hga0aFB4LY9YGa_Mo0gZgM7UN-yWTrEQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=e4a579c6d9126398f187377d2a331229&oe=5CE501A1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image may contain: one or more people and people on stage" aria-busy="true" border="0" class="spotlight" height="241" src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10419602_10205111228013709_9132856515562304464_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQle7X_NbEfNXNx8vGGI6K7tGQp9bzh0kk5hga0aFB4LY9YGa_Mo0gZgM7UN-yWTrEQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=e4a579c6d9126398f187377d2a331229&oe=5CE501A1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;" width="320" /></a> The next year I was there and found myself in a showdown , at a table with a group of friends, I sat and sipped my chardonnay as they wolfed down tail after tail of the red tiny lobsters. Then it happened... the gauntlet was laid down by a beer fueled challenge from a friend of ours. <br />
They offered me a twenty dollar bill to try one crawfish. I scoffed at the idea. Then through the laughter, the pot was raised. <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">"Fifty Dollars!" another friend shouted and threw another twenty and a ten into the pot. No, my pride and taste could not be bought! Then another friend tossed in a hundred dollar bill on top! Now... I'm not a woman who escapes her convictions by any means... but I am an accountant and the numbers were crunching in my head. About 10 seconds of chewing for $150 does come out to an hourly rate of $900. </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
Before I could let that sink in another friend piped up and threw in another hundred and before I could say anything, my right hand grabbed the money and my left grabbed a crawfish off of my husband's plate! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16996305_10210782246145618_3707974491937350738_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQnxX0SiCYFHUOLutB3FkQMBQKviQH-YYSUWBID2b601kT3qM22-Mu2NVqsmbCZbdJI&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=d158f2eba891acd043b432d75c2d63aa&oe=5D28E5CC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image may contain: food" aria-busy="true" border="0" class="spotlight" height="400" src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16996305_10210782246145618_3707974491937350738_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQnxX0SiCYFHUOLutB3FkQMBQKviQH-YYSUWBID2b601kT3qM22-Mu2NVqsmbCZbdJI&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=d158f2eba891acd043b432d75c2d63aa&oe=5D28E5CC" width="223" /></a><br />
Apparently I did have a price! <br />
I looked at the thing. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but everyone else was. So encouragement and directions came from all sides as I stared down the thing... literally... it had eyes.<br />
I broke the tail off and cracked the thing open. I pulled the meat out and cringed as I could smell it. I slowly moved my hand to my mouth, wincing at the thought.<br />
Then I opened my mouth.<br />
I took the bite.IT. WAS. DELICIOUS.<br />
I savored the flavor. It was like a guilty pleasure. A dirty little shrimp. I had no clue what I had been missing out on!<br />
The peanut gallery erupted at the obvious pleasure on my face! They cheered and laughed.<br />
I? I went to the crawfish bar and got myself a plate of mudbugs with the easriest $250 I ever earned in my pocket!<br />
I also won a mani-pedi at the silent auction, for oddly enough... $250.</span></div>
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-49794476575040690802019-02-17T15:22:00.001-06:002019-02-17T15:22:33.337-06:00Should Auld Acquaintances Be Forgotten....<div class="gmail-zw-paragraph" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oPNCOrRuOavp_pNa9dgqpjgKxzn7FasFrRv7pDBYqleTiXwPHZuc5PdaFFAvG00PcgJEtx_Z5DPIitU36j43foWBAHm-u_fHi68ofDixQXpqKNp2As-cpJaF1Sye5tupEXhxKBb5inw/s1600/IMG_1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oPNCOrRuOavp_pNa9dgqpjgKxzn7FasFrRv7pDBYqleTiXwPHZuc5PdaFFAvG00PcgJEtx_Z5DPIitU36j43foWBAHm-u_fHi68ofDixQXpqKNp2As-cpJaF1Sye5tupEXhxKBb5inw/s320/IMG_1094.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">This is one of my favorite times of the year. New Year's Eve is the culmination of a month of good times that starts on Thanksgiving. I get to see my family, as all of our kids come home at one time or another throughout the season. This year my son who lives in Denver came for Thanksgiving and Christmas! But NYE is the cap to the season. Every year, at the end of the season, we do a special celebration for our past guests. Our annual New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Dinner is a blast!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sybt13waYOJ5WpagJPksljZ89UovspdNEBUzEl6Gkarm9zqR_bGz6qPMf9Er41GWYsApxW_4-5CPuAen0Pq5RT4PUnJut6ApjAXkyIqc46aMOAu6CDqw6O1AAZ-DAaaeyuJupAbKbq0/s1600/fullsizeoutput_11fa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sybt13waYOJ5WpagJPksljZ89UovspdNEBUzEl6Gkarm9zqR_bGz6qPMf9Er41GWYsApxW_4-5CPuAen0Pq5RT4PUnJut6ApjAXkyIqc46aMOAu6CDqw6O1AAZ-DAaaeyuJupAbKbq0/s1600/fullsizeoutput_11fa.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">We sell out as soon as we announce the theme, usually in June or July, and the event is only open to guests who have stayed with us before. It's our own little way to say thank you to our guests and a fun exciting way to get to know everyone on a more personal level. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">We always get to meet new people and love making friends with our guests when the occasion arises. Some of our closest friendships we have forged over the years have come from the insanity that comes on this night!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">We go all out to decorate the manor for the occasion and spend the whole day preparing the food for the event.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsg-e-lnuUmhuDzyn308ymyBRqRbkoxc84m-SSEJT_CHxKMcx5348tOGdgFggGXCdFXwdlwop-tGBZsY1Joy7js37qgG406YWJIU96lO9zCdNcO_shkLHtHmwByGiCzXUt5lIBE0tx3s/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1200.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsg-e-lnuUmhuDzyn308ymyBRqRbkoxc84m-SSEJT_CHxKMcx5348tOGdgFggGXCdFXwdlwop-tGBZsY1Joy7js37qgG406YWJIU96lO9zCdNcO_shkLHtHmwByGiCzXUt5lIBE0tx3s/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1200.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">All of the guests dress up in costume to match their character, and we offer prizes for different contests, the favorite one being the best costume prize. Some of our guests have truly gone all out, with one year that had an American Revolution period theme included a gentleman that stayed in his powdered wig the entire weekend!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">The food is always fun with a 6-course dinner on the agenda, I love stretching my chef's muscles! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">We have the dining room decked out to set the stage for the event of the season. It was so well done that when my son came by to drop off a late-arriving Christmas gift (thank you Amazon!), he thought there was an actual crime that had happened!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">We start at 6:30pm after all the guests have had the day to relax, get massages, play with the goats while relaxing with a handcrafted charcuterie delivered to guests, with house-made chevre, asiago, gouda, and Brads smoked meats to set the mood. The evening has gone along with all participating in the Murder Mystery as our staff brings both food and clues along the way. Things always get exciting as the free-flowing wine works it's magic and the night progresses. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbYEzMlrg0Tmjoe-QlU9RHrHBVCy2mXh4eS249xO-tKbysmbaQKQ3nICfWzc1_8DPVpMUxfar1YXe_HtyLZ3jFAoTDWx-TRyyVG5ngr3sCZH-9WyqcDCnpIXMhO_yOcgiTfhW3QCKVqk/s1600/hCcVRXiSTGqEdkMEW7RdMg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbYEzMlrg0Tmjoe-QlU9RHrHBVCy2mXh4eS249xO-tKbysmbaQKQ3nICfWzc1_8DPVpMUxfar1YXe_HtyLZ3jFAoTDWx-TRyyVG5ngr3sCZH-9WyqcDCnpIXMhO_yOcgiTfhW3QCKVqk/s320/hCcVRXiSTGqEdkMEW7RdMg.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">At the culmination of the evening, we all go outside to ring in the New Year with our great fireworks display, a champagne toast, and singing of Auld Lang Syne!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">Come stay with us for a getaway soon, and then be eligible to join our Murder Mystery, with raucous fun next year! </span></div>
Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-80826873178573129992018-11-07T15:34:00.005-06:002018-11-07T15:37:34.455-06:00Chef Marcia’s Awesome Drunken Turkey Brine Recipe<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Turkey Day is almost here and I use this every year!!</u></i></b></span><br />
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In a large pot</div>
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Warm over the stove just till salt and brown sugar dissolved:</div>
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1 cup water</div>
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4 cups of apple cider</div>
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1 cup brown sugar</div>
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1 cup sea salt</div>
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1T smoked cinnamon </div>
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1T grated ginger</div>
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1T pink peppercorns</div>
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2-3 Springs of, Basil, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme</div>
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2 star anise </div>
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Once dissolved :</div>
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Add </div>
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6 sliced carrot-</div>
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2 T apple cider vinegar</div>
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1 lemon cut in quarters </div>
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3 bay leaf</div>
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2 grated garlic Cloves</div>
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2 chopped apples</div>
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4 cups beer</div>
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3 chopped shallots</div>
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I chill this Brine 12-24 hours before adding Turkey. </div>
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In a large pot that will hold your turkey ( I have been known to use a large bucket - that has a tight-fitting lid).</div>
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Stir the brine well before adding Turkey. I like to brine 24-48 hours.</div>
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The flavor becomes deeper and richer at 24+hrs. Don’t forget about the Turkey!!! Stir the contents around the Turkey every </div>
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12 hours so flavors remain integrated with each other. </div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Enjoy- Bon Appetite! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Have an amazing Thanksgiving from</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Elm Creek Manor</span></div>
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-62874054136328013822018-07-21T15:05:00.002-05:002018-07-21T15:05:40.485-05:00Up Up and Away!<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOwCGNPGV9JocuKe63AFiyR5xpbJ38xfi4ZCpm2KuFpp7w0HUXja_a2MIZvR7egJm7Hq8Wd8O0nNffjkB_soma_M6gWwF9_pt1LYTEyw1s3gGex2PPcu8gM9SJEvHpWDR3bEE5GHM5fo/s1600/37557655_10213948876649941_7413510446528856064_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOwCGNPGV9JocuKe63AFiyR5xpbJ38xfi4ZCpm2KuFpp7w0HUXja_a2MIZvR7egJm7Hq8Wd8O0nNffjkB_soma_M6gWwF9_pt1LYTEyw1s3gGex2PPcu8gM9SJEvHpWDR3bEE5GHM5fo/s320/37557655_10213948876649941_7413510446528856064_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>At dinner with some friends the other night, I was offered a chance to go flying. I've been in airplanes of all types before, but not this one, and not here. I leapt at the opportunity. </div>
Early afternoon the next day I received a message that my friend was going to be free all day. My husband had made plans with his brother for that afternoon, but my son was free, so we jumped in the car and pointed towards the Gainesville airport.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio44WYot39c84onihFmuLuKNpohqJQTHWHJjzNqRPrl7_B7MGtArV2YZsMnJmuvsRA32XCVQa6nlsy5feZKnez4SUlz19vlStf8L3FpTB5FFlZZQwpyFDmhC44tJdfrahU6E5eMlbBZlo/s1600/37588603_10213948878609990_5822759176903852032_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio44WYot39c84onihFmuLuKNpohqJQTHWHJjzNqRPrl7_B7MGtArV2YZsMnJmuvsRA32XCVQa6nlsy5feZKnez4SUlz19vlStf8L3FpTB5FFlZZQwpyFDmhC44tJdfrahU6E5eMlbBZlo/s320/37588603_10213948878609990_5822759176903852032_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>We pulled up to the airport and met my friend for a preflight prep. He explained what kind of airplane we were going to be flying in, a 1960's Piper Comanche. A plane that was designed as a personal executive flier has held up amazingly! This beautiful machine looked like it was moving as it sat in the hangar waiting to take us to it's playground.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR0fbrZzk5rON1AiaDzc-xFBuGVdyiHTaRD9oHxWO8CXGwk0BOVjCuAJN8teFXIVRy92yZvUq3cQo5HCJHmuMhLLB22udgJvWzAzOD0Gg1bnU2AhoRJuMQ2lVoedvnEamE6fNOYzMS0w/s1600/37573088_10213948878089977_8869266706447466496_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR0fbrZzk5rON1AiaDzc-xFBuGVdyiHTaRD9oHxWO8CXGwk0BOVjCuAJN8teFXIVRy92yZvUq3cQo5HCJHmuMhLLB22udgJvWzAzOD0Gg1bnU2AhoRJuMQ2lVoedvnEamE6fNOYzMS0w/s320/37573088_10213948878089977_8869266706447466496_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
We got in and put on the headphones so we could speak to each other as the plane hummed along, and waited as our pilot did his checks. We maneuvered to the runway and he gunned the throttle. We launched forward and quickly climbed into the sky.<br />
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It was a clear day and quickly we could see for miles as the runway behind us became a band-aid.<br />
As we climbed he told us that we would be flying all over Muenster and the Red River.<br />
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In minutes we were on top of the inn! we flew some circles over our house and I snagged a few pictures from above. Feeling like a bird looking down was really fun. Though it was a bit hot and as we flew over the house the blue pool looked very inviting... had a brief thought of a very high dive.<br />
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We turned and came over the town a moment later. It was bustling and our friends were working and eating and going about their lives as we looked down from above and had a lark.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus59yuqHFpz8ngzBd1AoRVMl3PKgDDUBY4WkUbrRaAokoyWhD3A-oAlyQjqgDT_2zMHiKhoGJ2Vk9yp_MWlwkq-EueUrrxc8pTRgHy2Z-KaWNbZYVVrWvMor0_BxI-e7qbsIQSYfQ8ig/s1600/37665990_10213948905650666_3935076008989818880_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus59yuqHFpz8ngzBd1AoRVMl3PKgDDUBY4WkUbrRaAokoyWhD3A-oAlyQjqgDT_2zMHiKhoGJ2Vk9yp_MWlwkq-EueUrrxc8pTRgHy2Z-KaWNbZYVVrWvMor0_BxI-e7qbsIQSYfQ8ig/s320/37665990_10213948905650666_3935076008989818880_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDuI-FyNiKNvGxP_5BBcBlFWOP0e9fhIy5iMLEelqMaX86g84NTJ79Yknzieymbw9cHSFKjB9vt6lsagrx0Y6IhmIXG6tzR06OM7GUly-URxuFkI1R7RsD9vQnJmlBeyfvfvKlM58r9I/s1600/37585452_10213948879410010_901400888243912704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDuI-FyNiKNvGxP_5BBcBlFWOP0e9fhIy5iMLEelqMaX86g84NTJ79Yknzieymbw9cHSFKjB9vt6lsagrx0Y6IhmIXG6tzR06OM7GUly-URxuFkI1R7RsD9vQnJmlBeyfvfvKlM58r9I/s320/37585452_10213948879410010_901400888243912704_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgv-YyYqfds97SsXzyUI1Juj8yLNMzbrwsRaVI48BXNLWnSYuAmZvcd_K0HYnJ4bTXwzcxkrxbcXpcOeVBsj5TOzegFL1e3ew55lBqubcmppAkIkqMXvL-0xi2skzmuWLwoN0EWwAUuQ4/s1600/37609881_10213948879650016_234729420244385792_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgv-YyYqfds97SsXzyUI1Juj8yLNMzbrwsRaVI48BXNLWnSYuAmZvcd_K0HYnJ4bTXwzcxkrxbcXpcOeVBsj5TOzegFL1e3ew55lBqubcmppAkIkqMXvL-0xi2skzmuWLwoN0EWwAUuQ4/s320/37609881_10213948879650016_234729420244385792_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>We headed north and flew along the river. It zoomed past us quicker than any boat had ever gone on those waters, and zoomed over a group of kids riding dirt bikes, trying so hard to grab just a taste of the air we were playing in.<br />
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After a while we headed back to the Gainesville airport. We lined up and came to a smooth landing for a clean end to a fun trip. <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyEJis0qfUSxFB0wUkVXhlsUXsZnX-wrk-aK1XB0IjivQaIr0u7e6CPxege-FhWDWsVWnxEATVtfwpZjRaMBA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-84806252013927186072018-07-12T14:02:00.000-05:002018-07-12T14:02:37.609-05:00A Star Spangled 1st 4thWe have a lot of fun each year with our annual New Year's Eve party, so this year we decided to start a new tradition. Usually, we are slow around the 4th of July, so we have not tried to do anything with the inn. Modus Operandi has usually meant closing and going out to the lake. But we had a thought that maybe people would like a break from the crowds for the holiday, so we decided to put together our type of party!<br />
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Our invitation was well received, and we were sold out quickly. What we came up with was our take on traditional Americana celebration of our nation's independence. Guests were excited to be a part of the fun and the staff was too. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyl_sZLpcOqEs5A3nufjq4AeoySde9Pn1TFPuNyZjxgmkcRu7Cg3Po9oIWaczWE1CZhMKS-pMgH0f3X1VNXm9_9Cz5ZhB2vKotBRTu77w0rrB7IliT2pHPIHVuzBLkHTq0xcMpRE6Ves/s1600/20170730_202716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyl_sZLpcOqEs5A3nufjq4AeoySde9Pn1TFPuNyZjxgmkcRu7Cg3Po9oIWaczWE1CZhMKS-pMgH0f3X1VNXm9_9Cz5ZhB2vKotBRTu77w0rrB7IliT2pHPIHVuzBLkHTq0xcMpRE6Ves/s320/20170730_202716.jpg" width="180" /></a>The day's events began at 3pm with the opening of the bar at the pool. My second oldest son has almost as vast a knowledge of craft cocktails as I do food... so he says. He was free and volunteered to serve as our master mixer for the day. He was pretty excited because he loved his time "behind bars"... he was not in prison, but did bartend for a long time and also owned a music venue that was craft cocktail focused. <br />
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The adult offerings included beer, ciders, wine, and tipsy watermelon squares to go along with his Margarita Bar. Each of these was made with a secret blend of spiced salt rim and hand squeezed juice upon order with options including jalapeno, watermelon, sangria as well as tradicional margarita. Admittedly, they were as good as they were potent. So I was told. By me. <br />
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With libations firmly in hand, we started the day off with an intermittent schedule of games, events, refreshments and pool time for everyone to participate in as they chose. The games included pretty decent prizes, so everyone was even happier to join in the fun.<br />
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The first of these was a water balloon toss that one couple was surprisingly good at and won with ease... they clearly had the youngest children. The victors took home some beautiful German style art pieces depicting some local attractions along with a gift bag from shops in our town.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIWFH19f3seK5OvMQnPi2_aJkWojLd3m5A8FtYdgZyo-PhLg46YpSVMKItyLbadAVFBmhp4XHfnsoKIZLxnDQSMqHMI2YxHsiQJRZ_n3uyRSZclC_arhksFS7yXxIgiqX_mn4hEEWkLY/s1600/20180704_171135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIWFH19f3seK5OvMQnPi2_aJkWojLd3m5A8FtYdgZyo-PhLg46YpSVMKItyLbadAVFBmhp4XHfnsoKIZLxnDQSMqHMI2YxHsiQJRZ_n3uyRSZclC_arhksFS7yXxIgiqX_mn4hEEWkLY/s320/20180704_171135.jpg" width="320" /></a>The next game was a more challenging one. It was a foot race up the hill in front of the manor house. But... not just a footrace, it was a 6 legged race. To win, you had to bring one of our tiny donkeys up the hill and back with you. As you can imagine, this was more of a challenge, as donkeys can be kind of an ass. This one was won by a crafty gentleman who snuck a handful of feed out of the donkey's bucket! He won some custom made aluminum reusable insulated water bottles for himself and his date.<br />
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Next came Dinner. This included smoked home ground sausage, smoked chicken, reverse seared, smoked steaks, and sides were smoked cream corn in husk boats, a fresh dill potato salad, bbq ratatouille, rosemary and pork ranch style beans. As we had all worked up an appetite we all devoured the meal before festivities carried on.<br />
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The last game of the day was a challenge game. There was a board of red white and blue balloons in the shape of a flag that each contained dares. Players picked and popped a balloon and read the challenge aloud. This was a last man standing game, as players could choose to attempt the challenge, or drop out, and still had to complete it to advance to the next round. I will say, that I wasn't expecting the tequila to factor in so much as it did as a performance enhancing drug. <br />
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Players inhibitions were low and courage was high... this lead to some very memorable challenge acceptances. We saw mustard, ketchup, cholula, and a raw egg all taken as shots, an arm shaved, feet smelt, and peanut butter both used as a face rejuvenator and eaten off another competitor among many other things! In the end, the winner took home a 2 night stay at the manor for future use, and it was well earned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcX8EjJslStD0F4dxX42b7YHBTeGVd9hVyxGz0Fh5SCFhxgDCEy3wR_YjX2wQHXjSWIMbvD_CjMcTkyE4GVLX2pWbgnjGDtzZRPH6ZfM0hVErsJBrB4qJLfqD5vmumNv5PdwmAlnBrWR8/s1600/jalaprno2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcX8EjJslStD0F4dxX42b7YHBTeGVd9hVyxGz0Fh5SCFhxgDCEy3wR_YjX2wQHXjSWIMbvD_CjMcTkyE4GVLX2pWbgnjGDtzZRPH6ZfM0hVErsJBrB4qJLfqD5vmumNv5PdwmAlnBrWR8/s320/jalaprno2.jpg" width="320" /></a>This ate up the time for the sun to finally make it's way down the sky, so we made our way to the rear of the property for our own fireworks display. My husband, son and our groundskeeper donned lighters and punks and set the night ablaze with morters and the like so that we could have a taste of the rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air, and all the proof in the night that our flag was still there.<br />
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As a nightcap, the bar made it's last drinks as we all made s'mores with homemade marshmallows and chocolate bars atop traditional graham crackers. It made for a perfect parking break to our First Annual Elm Creek Manor 4th of July Celebration. Hope to see you all next year! ...or sooner.<br />
Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-57776206424325762482018-06-23T13:49:00.000-05:002018-06-23T14:02:02.635-05:00Where a Kid Can Be a KidWe don't get a lot of tiny visitors around here, being an adults only hideaway, but, recently my grandson, Jack, from San Antonio, came to visit while we were closed for some remodeling. I thought I would take the chance to get in some Grammy time! With the first couple of days spent exploring around the property and getting dirty as boys so readily do, I made plans for that Saturday afternoon to take a fun country day trip. What I didn't know was how much fun I would have on a trip geared towards being a kid, but hey grown people still love s'mores, right?!<br />
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Now, Jack is incredibly smart, but a quiet boy. He loves museums and history, with a mild obsession with the Titanic, so I had an idea to draw him out of his shell. I knew we had a some local places, a few of which I have written about before, that he would really enjoy, and so we set out on our adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjNnFtxdARuhmWbWlPaDZD5QsynnkytpTrcGie4xV9fqUMO4Jw6A2Vuq4xDGt9bcrLfrSThyphenhyphentsmUCUB5-vhrKeo-I1UoaYriGHtdqw4xi6pT1J2Pkq8ZnNMXEYCozvQrto8Uq6ldAj34/s1600/Austen3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1080" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjNnFtxdARuhmWbWlPaDZD5QsynnkytpTrcGie4xV9fqUMO4Jw6A2Vuq4xDGt9bcrLfrSThyphenhyphentsmUCUB5-vhrKeo-I1UoaYriGHtdqw4xi6pT1J2Pkq8ZnNMXEYCozvQrto8Uq6ldAj34/s320/Austen3.jpeg" width="320" /></a>To add a little ambiance, I made a call to my son, who lives up here. He loves projects, and is restoring an old Ford 4x4 pickup. At this point, it's running great, so I asked if we could borrow it for the day. As Jack got in the big truck, he asked where we were going, and I told him we were going to get lost and find our way back... by which he was thoroughly confused, and said can't you just push the map button? I explained that this was an old truck and there was no button for navigation.<br />
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As Jack peppered me with questions about where and why we were going and looked at wonder at the old truck with no A/C or TV screens anywhere. You could easily see he was definitely not sure about the old beast. But with the windows down and the radio up, we rolled down the highway. After a few minutes, his wand was out the window surfing in the wind, and I knew he was coming around.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFhF7G3hT0EoIn_upGG3jKeaX0FX4rEU8vjehpuogx9K8zG9wpBnLiyZjkJNvOoL2s31f_fjf704iNYiuMHSMWt6nXEOPDW1asBhnHYGs6Mb3PRoViQf2xByNUt0YI3_61FyO4ZWpMAY/s1600/tank3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFhF7G3hT0EoIn_upGG3jKeaX0FX4rEU8vjehpuogx9K8zG9wpBnLiyZjkJNvOoL2s31f_fjf704iNYiuMHSMWt6nXEOPDW1asBhnHYGs6Mb3PRoViQf2xByNUt0YI3_61FyO4ZWpMAY/s320/tank3.jpg" width="320" /></a>As we rolled deeper into the country outside of St. Jo, to the East, we stopped at a road side driveway. There was a little gate leading into a pasture that had a number of installments placed where they could easily be seen from the road. A man's retirement art project, these curiosities loom large on the scene. As long as you are respectful, it's ok to step through and get a closer look at the pieces on display. We weaved through them, Jack wide eyed as we walked. The pieces incorporate a lot of interesting media, spanning from telephone poles to Volkswagens and airplane engines. <br />
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Getting back in the truck, we pointed towards Nocona and Horton's Classic Car Museum. Jack said he wasn't all that into sports cars, but I know little boys, of all ages, a bit better than that. As we walked into the building housing 120 classic and modern muscle cars, he was slack jawed. Strolling through the large bulding with so many cool and odd machines we were both taken aback. The one that stood out the most was the spce ship looking "Mach 5", from the movie Speed Racer, which had a few props included in the display.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLROBdLbWhd7RNy7IZx0OH1EZXjgo5Y4iNOPa9IOh5Rjbq5Qul1h4rf-F_-evYbeHcWzB6wfYR9m4XZVwi54y0b0jd27Gf8uYANKkuqMgNSR2wbcwGnwa5pwew3qADePqJPQt3fGadcfs/s1600/tank4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="681" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLROBdLbWhd7RNy7IZx0OH1EZXjgo5Y4iNOPa9IOh5Rjbq5Qul1h4rf-F_-evYbeHcWzB6wfYR9m4XZVwi54y0b0jd27Gf8uYANKkuqMgNSR2wbcwGnwa5pwew3qADePqJPQt3fGadcfs/s320/tank4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
As we left Nocona and headed back to St. Jo for our next stop, the heat of the day had come on pretty heavily. It is only about a 15 mile drive down a country highway, but as we pulled up to the town square, we were both ready for some A/C and a cold one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt325md_Xb3Sv_fp2ZJUwGUeU_UuT9jVc09A74MZSHEslD1mCE88oqDG4JPe8L5PnmgZ0rpBw3f63OFLrzXlcbxs18P9j-xhSmIVyKx_OA9gOSXY90GIg-imEMlyAl2EUa4eIa4Gh4YjU/s1600/tank2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt325md_Xb3Sv_fp2ZJUwGUeU_UuT9jVc09A74MZSHEslD1mCE88oqDG4JPe8L5PnmgZ0rpBw3f63OFLrzXlcbxs18P9j-xhSmIVyKx_OA9gOSXY90GIg-imEMlyAl2EUa4eIa4Gh4YjU/s320/tank2.jpg" width="240" /></a>We stepped into "Lonely Hearts Grill" next door to our next stop and grabbed a cool spot inside to relax for a moment. When the server came to the table to take our order, Jack exclaimed "root beer!" he said that they in fact had the "best root beer on the planet", Sioux City Root Beer. I could see the look on his face said "I'll be the judge of that". Alongside the slice of homemade pie we split, he seemed content with that description.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC8jEIeCL41EKDpda6kc1fYLFUHib80F2q523POpXforBtipof03vDQh_uvCfp-mi_oVTSmyog2eidxoUf3yFu2gTic_YqRiZaW-U83iLiSJEB2m_OoQ34qIZTi2OOqT0rh3J2QkGeiA/s1600/tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC8jEIeCL41EKDpda6kc1fYLFUHib80F2q523POpXforBtipof03vDQh_uvCfp-mi_oVTSmyog2eidxoUf3yFu2gTic_YqRiZaW-U83iLiSJEB2m_OoQ34qIZTi2OOqT0rh3J2QkGeiA/s320/tank.jpg" width="320" /></a>Refreshed, we made our way to the International Ordinance Museum. This was an easy slam dunk, taking a boy to a tank and cannon museum, but I actually really found it interesting! They had all sorts of old memorabilia and even a Japanese anti-aircraft prop cannon from the movie Pearl Harbor. The owners were onsite and had lots of interesting anecdotes and stories that left jack wide eyed and me surprisingly intrigued.<br />
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With the day dragging on and time to start cooking dinner looming, we headed back to the manor. When we gave the truck back to my son, Jack was going on and on about the root beer he had found and the tank that got blown up by a trick shot through a viewing window into the ammo stock inside. I felt warm knowing I had found a way to melt his quiet exterior for a bit. he also said he like the old truck because the A/C was broken and we got to drive with the windows down. Then the phone rang and the radio on the truck shut off so it could be answered, to which Jack, perplexed, retorted "how did the truck get Bluetooth, it was made before they invented phones?!"<br />
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<br />Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-6736032537343014522018-06-16T11:28:00.000-05:002018-06-16T11:31:21.127-05:00I Get By With A Little Help From My FriendsOur business is simply sharing our home with guests, which is a very intimate experience, and so we have made many new friends over the years. For my husband and I, one of the best parts of our job is the opportunity to meet people from all over the world in our home. We take every opportunity we can to travel and learn more about places far and wide to bring a taste of these treasures home to share with our guests. Having made so many friends over the years, we often find ourselves spending our personal time with past guests, sometimes traveling with or even to them. One such time that was very special to us happened pretty recently.<br />
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A couple who has been staying with us for years and have become great friends of ours decided to include us in a very special moment. we aer planning a trip together this summer, and while going over some details, The gentleman came to us with an idea he had. His wife was retiring and he had told her he was going to take her away for a relaxing weekend with us the weekend of her retirement. He decided to throw a surprise retirement party for her and enlisted our help.<br />
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The plan was to pick her up and take her to the inn, where she was expecting to spend the weekend reading by the pool. In reality, He had taken over the whole property and filled it with her friends and their children!<br />
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The day of the party, we had everyone come to the house early and had hidden them all up in the library of our personal suite in the manor. The cars she would recognize we stuck in the barn or somewhere out of sight. As they were driving in, they were planning on stopping at a winery in St. Jo to give us time to get everything ready, but they had gotten a late start.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_YMVTaCjFAJfXXcF7_Cx0n5u5O-Zq0jEACkn5Pl3c8WB5x7yb_gVvrbWECptFmFXSeLvLTsVRvKoaK95by7G7CqX_QoBCAUTKecc6u6n5vI0AklErrwq2JrtOa7DSSehzm13V-27-U0/s1600/dox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_YMVTaCjFAJfXXcF7_Cx0n5u5O-Zq0jEACkn5Pl3c8WB5x7yb_gVvrbWECptFmFXSeLvLTsVRvKoaK95by7G7CqX_QoBCAUTKecc6u6n5vI0AklErrwq2JrtOa7DSSehzm13V-27-U0/s1600/dox.jpg" /></a>We got a text from her husband that they were running late, so we made an excuse for her to need to skip the winery. Then we got a call from her daughter that they were running late, too, so we called them back and asked them to stop at the grocery store on the way because I was stuck in the middle of cooking and couldn't leave, and my husband was out and his phone had died. I was really worried because she knew we would never ask a guest to do that, but we were desperate for an excuse to buy time, so as they say in football, I called an audible!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02p_oo8tddchFAWl65CQN7xNJWhHMNtZtlEfG9iW70rq8F0FnV3msMJBZmA5fu0adrMui-gYJ8tXp_T5xKUf6AD8frLAuLGJbwzTkJAcojFzR1Of8XfBJZTP00jIFethl677huE0_tRk/s1600/dox3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="840" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02p_oo8tddchFAWl65CQN7xNJWhHMNtZtlEfG9iW70rq8F0FnV3msMJBZmA5fu0adrMui-gYJ8tXp_T5xKUf6AD8frLAuLGJbwzTkJAcojFzR1Of8XfBJZTP00jIFethl677huE0_tRk/s320/dox3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Fortunately, it worked. She came in and they came up to the house for social hour, and was blown away by the surprise! All of those people that meant so much to her were there to help her celebrate such a big milestone, and we too got to be a special part of that. The look on her face was worth all the planning and sidesteps along the way to make this happen right.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBByNMVIpuAfzZAnS_2g8OK8uAU_EpcA-sMo1PVxQzoFKzGgdXVpQfKFK4hiQqaR9fEESc9sQpOxtE18y_gzBP9ZmThNX4N1fKaQI7WWRB3ot1xoTNRWjN24LULAwLzp-QuAxa-z13bk8/s1600/dox5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBByNMVIpuAfzZAnS_2g8OK8uAU_EpcA-sMo1PVxQzoFKzGgdXVpQfKFK4hiQqaR9fEESc9sQpOxtE18y_gzBP9ZmThNX4N1fKaQI7WWRB3ot1xoTNRWjN24LULAwLzp-QuAxa-z13bk8/s1600/dox5.jpg" /></a>That night we all went into town and had a private party at Doc's in Muenster, where the revelry went on into the night. The next day they men all went golfing so the ladies could relax in the sun and enjoy poolside service and all the onsite amenities and spa services.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bD6XPPDe8esE_8tCn212dVLTw-N-ZAMFj3tzQjDQcqDB5gQ3XIYDPeQTOVueFLAAob3yNC7TWv_oyBe2vs0AfN_GMt0BGRfEl0a05LiAhfuQjUpYzpphgVP1F4ECPIDZAyiFjCE5qiI/s1600/dox4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1500" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bD6XPPDe8esE_8tCn212dVLTw-N-ZAMFj3tzQjDQcqDB5gQ3XIYDPeQTOVueFLAAob3yNC7TWv_oyBe2vs0AfN_GMt0BGRfEl0a05LiAhfuQjUpYzpphgVP1F4ECPIDZAyiFjCE5qiI/s320/dox4.jpg" width="320" /></a>Saturday night, after the day of outdoor fun for everyone, they all met back up for dinner in the dining room as we do it here at the manor. With many toasts and cheer all around, the evening went great and was a perfect crescendo to the congratulatory event for her long career. It was such an honor to get to be a part of this weekend for people who have come to mean so much to us over the years!<br />
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-51280601931908516222018-06-05T17:44:00.002-05:002018-06-05T17:44:39.634-05:00Where There's Smoke, There's Meat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CbFhayXtIk_5oYHz8eto9qRBNQSP_spB34rBbykWDegAbDQjL6gWGHzcExuM6OxbwhowuQtizraqY12y6WnqRwEGKsSAk350BVqxefvoXNY14xbYvUDrxFKioKnp_ZHq-TbIi4LtWgk/s1600/BBQ+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CbFhayXtIk_5oYHz8eto9qRBNQSP_spB34rBbykWDegAbDQjL6gWGHzcExuM6OxbwhowuQtizraqY12y6WnqRwEGKsSAk350BVqxefvoXNY14xbYvUDrxFKioKnp_ZHq-TbIi4LtWgk/s320/BBQ+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With the first official tip o' the triple digits scale, Summer is here. As too many conversations between my husband and sons and son in law have aluded to, this means BBQ time. Not just cooking our, but going to get it from other places, too. Not that I mind terribly, as being Texan means an inherent love of meat and fire combined, but it is an overwhelmingly common topic these days. So this being my blog of the things that go on in our innkeeping life, I will share our newly compiled list of places to get your Que on around here!<br />
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The Usual Suspects: http://www.smokehousebbqlindsay.com/<br />
http://www.dieterbrosbbq.com/<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfd1uLY9nqtrcmCEYX2CySJVmAQhqYj9NJbht3iANSTAnIB_Hgf_Gl3fU0VM-QCSYFP-9vgWUss9Q2LjIv59vAsnXrJaHuWT25bvywNgm2rxzrdLegHsA50EGCkCKySdGjdNlocMQtd0/s1600/BBQ+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfd1uLY9nqtrcmCEYX2CySJVmAQhqYj9NJbht3iANSTAnIB_Hgf_Gl3fU0VM-QCSYFP-9vgWUss9Q2LjIv59vAsnXrJaHuWT25bvywNgm2rxzrdLegHsA50EGCkCKySdGjdNlocMQtd0/s320/BBQ+2.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExJBzvFDL8QgQHyM4UenXekZdQcopLXaLL_1EUIqHg8q-CHeOqzna4Ib9_hZgoOI5a1MHnfP9HXgtbih-eQyRDQaqp7x4UJ9JS_XcyxrfUhE3JcB3JQHQZMrxYsL6rSu8Kv9KdB-vDNA/s1600/BBQ+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExJBzvFDL8QgQHyM4UenXekZdQcopLXaLL_1EUIqHg8q-CHeOqzna4Ib9_hZgoOI5a1MHnfP9HXgtbih-eQyRDQaqp7x4UJ9JS_XcyxrfUhE3JcB3JQHQZMrxYsL6rSu8Kv9KdB-vDNA/s1600/BBQ+1.jpg" /></a>If you live anywhere around north Texas, it seems you have a preference on one of the two side by side BBQ joints in Lindsey, TX, about 7 miles east of us here in Muenster. In my opinion, they are very similar as far as the bbq goes, but the boys always look at me like I'm crazy when I say that. They always start in on me with "one has this and the other that, and I wouldn't know the difference between..." guys, I'm a professional chef, you know?! There is Dieter Bros.Pit Bar B Q, and next door is Smokehouse BBQ. Both places are sit down style restaurants and both have beer, but Smokehouse has a full bar. Dieter Brothers also has german food on the menu, and both places offer an old BBQ pit staple: Pizza. I know. Me either. I say go to both and form your own opinion and i will respect it!<br />
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The Sleeper: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jazs-Bbq/407975039215484<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPGAGNEzz6mKeQbj-wJvVFT6qa1BKMov3C8lc7g9yl_23DAeAFoxLgkUdZ__BQXe_L-Lzw2eWN8ndQeXx4aFBY_TnjvaXyTBObbydh3Z1nIkmsFdibcZzjKrGHaueaickWEN2cbjoJ70/s1600/bbq+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPGAGNEzz6mKeQbj-wJvVFT6qa1BKMov3C8lc7g9yl_23DAeAFoxLgkUdZ__BQXe_L-Lzw2eWN8ndQeXx4aFBY_TnjvaXyTBObbydh3Z1nIkmsFdibcZzjKrGHaueaickWEN2cbjoJ70/s1600/bbq+3.jpg" /></a>My oldest son prides himself on being in the know about all the secret spots (he lived in Austin a bit too long I think). Somehow, he can sniff out hidden gems like a hog to a truffle. It's weird. With this skill in place, he did it in Gainesville, TX where he found a BBQ shack in the middle of a neighborhood well off the beaten path. He was driving around and his radar went off and he just showed up later with a bunch of meat and sides. He told us of a magical place called Jazz BBQ that he stumbled upon and when he got there, all they had left was Brisket, which is his favorite anyway. That was his barometer for how good the rest must be, that they sold out before he was able to get some. Mine was the brisket. It was good... real good. Tender and juicy and smokey, like it should be. I'm not saying he's right about his method, but that doesn't mean the BBQ was bad either.<br />
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The New Guy: http://www.redriverstation.com/home.html<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlv7uSnxkzzdo5PMAgcRyL4v9_0a4Ocs97g83uo1X0au30spBL8bDnfPo6HXOTEnxhWUt1hbuyv6YnZDjdsqRUafr8DBQbJCxs6HTSHYBo3h2Q_QL46FkKi4L2RO8jKSNou8GAmL5sF8/s1600/BBQ+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlv7uSnxkzzdo5PMAgcRyL4v9_0a4Ocs97g83uo1X0au30spBL8bDnfPo6HXOTEnxhWUt1hbuyv6YnZDjdsqRUafr8DBQbJCxs6HTSHYBo3h2Q_QL46FkKi4L2RO8jKSNou8GAmL5sF8/s320/BBQ+4.jpg" width="240" /></a> <span style="text-align: center;">A new place just opened to quite a bit of fanfare last week. Being a new place in the area, the whole population decended upon it and as is less common, they liked it! It's called Red River Station in St. Jo, TX. This place is pretty cool. It is a BBQ joint and "the Yard" where you can eat and drink and watch live bands play, and they have really good BBQ to go with it. Just the classics here, though, no pizza. The Ribs were fall apart tender and so smokey good!</span><br />
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These are the ones on our staples list right now, but I'll update the list soon with some more local joints!Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-88573752360006457672018-05-23T16:57:00.001-05:002018-05-23T16:57:51.509-05:00Remembering to Remember<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrSqbZr-cZ4n0Qo6a2HqPCuIXJP7j_mPidYGrwomSsplP9Vbn6HBqu4TZCAoMCMCMbGAdCsa5Y3E0W3x3OyRe8dJc8UQBMXpT-26N9ZyjUOotDubjGIEdg-G16skgYVyj-Xfuhhl0T0U/s1600/a+mem2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrSqbZr-cZ4n0Qo6a2HqPCuIXJP7j_mPidYGrwomSsplP9Vbn6HBqu4TZCAoMCMCMbGAdCsa5Y3E0W3x3OyRe8dJc8UQBMXpT-26N9ZyjUOotDubjGIEdg-G16skgYVyj-Xfuhhl0T0U/s1600/a+mem2.jpg" /></a><br />
I'm looking forward to the big weekend coming up. We are going to be swimming at the pool, and the lake, and enjoying a campfire with our friends. My son is going to be smoking a brisket one night, and my husband is making steaks another. It's the widely recognized kickoff to the Summer. These and a few other plans are in the forefront of my mind, but as I was going over a list of the things I am going to be doing, a conversation I had a couple of years ago seems to take over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5SjLflxwc6lpSmomeKybyYeHu5zJ9nJ8TI_U5ivpw3xvnKuJKXaDgOI0r9FFI3vcm3mU5DZR9yPCxhi4AEjj60e5Al7Uhx0lhA41cBAnZvoE-lVXXdmewfCY-ncbCjopQr0gvUsSWXI/s1600/a+mem4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5SjLflxwc6lpSmomeKybyYeHu5zJ9nJ8TI_U5ivpw3xvnKuJKXaDgOI0r9FFI3vcm3mU5DZR9yPCxhi4AEjj60e5Al7Uhx0lhA41cBAnZvoE-lVXXdmewfCY-ncbCjopQr0gvUsSWXI/s320/a+mem4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I happened upon an older gentleman named John I have known for some time. He and his wife were usually at the bar area of a restaurant that used to be open in town. He was a veteran of the Vietnam war and didn't talk about it much, or anything else really. I knew he was because he always wore a hat with a US Marine insignia on it and someone had mentioned when he served. It was Memorial day and I told him I was thankful for his service and told the waitress to put their tab on ours. <br />
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Unexpectedly, he stopped me, and he said with a slightly sad look on his face, "I appreciate the thanks, but that's not what this day is about. There is Veteran's day for that. Most people don't know it, but today is for honoring the fallen soldiers."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xDPUL8l20R0yJg5Y5i7npIZfEVFmMY96q41Ehofm5G5EljEdPRysCpvo2s3DxhLV3PTPuabcH0PRuGfGpgZwMac7ckpoXCLjL3HzAavyArrixSmJXGEruhjf6KzDpb5YJTEtK2Bwr9Q/s1600/a+mem+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xDPUL8l20R0yJg5Y5i7npIZfEVFmMY96q41Ehofm5G5EljEdPRysCpvo2s3DxhLV3PTPuabcH0PRuGfGpgZwMac7ckpoXCLjL3HzAavyArrixSmJXGEruhjf6KzDpb5YJTEtK2Bwr9Q/s1600/a+mem+5.jpg" /></a>That rang true to me, as I thought of my family and friends that had served, and those that had given the greatest sacrifice. I said a prayer of thanks for those who had given so much so that we can be here to enjoy all the things this country has to offer, and I appreciated the parades I had seen just a little more than I had before, and I made a point to put a flag pin on my shirt. Those are just little things, but they have really big meaning. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAu_I_7BMeVEj0mMJ2GuuC4t4BjptYdJnYC3ZfWL697encxhrDr4WIA5DDXKuyFDJoXHpbiGv5w7viae8vYaDfCmretKc3ar0Xdq5mf54hZoFjKXSYtxNlS0ROdS5zaVvIrF66L0-ZboY/s1600/a+memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="750" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAu_I_7BMeVEj0mMJ2GuuC4t4BjptYdJnYC3ZfWL697encxhrDr4WIA5DDXKuyFDJoXHpbiGv5w7viae8vYaDfCmretKc3ar0Xdq5mf54hZoFjKXSYtxNlS0ROdS5zaVvIrF66L0-ZboY/s320/a+memorial.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are a lot of people who have some negative things to say about our home, but they can, because of these men and women. It's nothing new anymore, in the 60's they burned flags, and today they kneel at football games, but that same spirit of defiance was what our forefathers so vehemently fought to protect, and our fighting men and women carry on that fight. I for one am going to just be thankful I can enjoy a BBQ with my family and not be worried about anything more dangerous than the extra jalapenos I see my son sneaking into the beans.<br />
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-68049622154554913332018-05-12T12:16:00.001-05:002018-05-22T16:41:35.671-05:00Around the World in 80 Minutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXms_bHjHOUGtdhM0Pi5yqJ1VTnrME9Jc6K_ePJLYG-h3jsofjj3Mm9E_BevusfKoR-VpDjsxg2Gkg4a0h3x4dYmkV9jtRCykSF4wYfPFk3lk_RPrroV08j0ASYBW3w2SV7bKmSp1HX-g/s1600/Awin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXms_bHjHOUGtdhM0Pi5yqJ1VTnrME9Jc6K_ePJLYG-h3jsofjj3Mm9E_BevusfKoR-VpDjsxg2Gkg4a0h3x4dYmkV9jtRCykSF4wYfPFk3lk_RPrroV08j0ASYBW3w2SV7bKmSp1HX-g/s1600/Awin3.jpg" /></a></div>
One of the bigger draws in our neck of the woods is about 15 miles away, but it might as well be 1000. Around here, most things go just a little slower. The banks still have banker's hours, and most of the town shuts down by 10pm. The contrast of Winstar World Casino and Resort is a bit stark, to say the least.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOwROJ030EKfH0Tpuqgz0139e45UygdDhbCt5K9mqXaPMrlxOeQ9OjP9_5bS-LpN96KLeufNtr4L-S41cReUY-dvPa6ah9dh1aVMUrcJgZZypNP6y8aqt_t0hFc4tR4qbRBZebKEdirI/s1600/awin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOwROJ030EKfH0Tpuqgz0139e45UygdDhbCt5K9mqXaPMrlxOeQ9OjP9_5bS-LpN96KLeufNtr4L-S41cReUY-dvPa6ah9dh1aVMUrcJgZZypNP6y8aqt_t0hFc4tR4qbRBZebKEdirI/s320/awin2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3Co4HxdPpTZ5XsGb8HXc_MNo5mlB3IDQn6oU5VWhrSKE0KU2xwGiL_MOHng5IDaoc7uEyo_ast7vld-f-hNDGC05xWzdkmFy0FXgQSVNnHgQLKGq6s87LAgwosxdCwEVxhFKf6hYhbY/s1600/Awin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3Co4HxdPpTZ5XsGb8HXc_MNo5mlB3IDQn6oU5VWhrSKE0KU2xwGiL_MOHng5IDaoc7uEyo_ast7vld-f-hNDGC05xWzdkmFy0FXgQSVNnHgQLKGq6s87LAgwosxdCwEVxhFKf6hYhbY/s1600/Awin.jpg" /></a> <br />
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When you look at it, it stands out, impressive against the backdrop. Turn your head in one direction and there is Thackerville, a tiny Oklahoma border town, turn it the other way and you there is the whole world looking back! Winstar World Casino is the largest casino in the whole world. Including Vegas. It is a giant loop of casino and resort that is divided up into different regions of the world as you walk along. You can go from New York to Italy to Beijing in steps, not flights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cTSOxq5kGwM5joNcseSKl94GK5W8pBL6KenArBncMoRcRfTN-59ROWFEKdz8QvapzC6IdtToyCBcjHmOLl2GMd6xEQbjirsdjqg-HMp1m_S-uG1cj3tw0srNXhQfGgbp2O6Ox0df2aw/s1600/Awin6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1000" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cTSOxq5kGwM5joNcseSKl94GK5W8pBL6KenArBncMoRcRfTN-59ROWFEKdz8QvapzC6IdtToyCBcjHmOLl2GMd6xEQbjirsdjqg-HMp1m_S-uG1cj3tw0srNXhQfGgbp2O6Ox0df2aw/s320/Awin6.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisibGSqqz2z24VByXmhPukaQLnsuA8xMbWs6q_KxSwhHd0T_eOGmDDB2lYstwJfNI9YJ9ROGsT1YnYiahKD58J7FawyldGCBIRi60VCCX_SE7mkZFB0IgZg58xUNhiTZmwpyjBf4UcU3w/s1600/Awin4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1100" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisibGSqqz2z24VByXmhPukaQLnsuA8xMbWs6q_KxSwhHd0T_eOGmDDB2lYstwJfNI9YJ9ROGsT1YnYiahKD58J7FawyldGCBIRi60VCCX_SE7mkZFB0IgZg58xUNhiTZmwpyjBf4UcU3w/s320/Awin4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Years ago, before the casino was built, people in the small towns around here thought of Thackerville as the backwoods. People in a town with 2 stop lights used to joke about them as being "small town". At some point, however, developers started buying up large chunks of land, which shot up all kinds of flares in a place where everyone knows everything that goes on in the area, or so they thought.<br />
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At first nobody knew what to think for sure, though, because of confidentiality agreements and corporate land grabs. Rumors circled, and the leading one was that Disney was the purchaser. A small tie to one of the purchases linked back to a company that was owned by the mouse, and the fire was started. Everyone was blown away by the thought of middle America Disneyverse. Then suddenly... nothing. The rumors faded away, and life moved on as things seemed to stop moving with the Thackerville mystery project. Years passed and people forgot about the project as kids grew up and they had kids, and football seasons came and went. Then all of a sudden, there was construction. Big construction. In a whirlwind, there were buildings going as fast as they could be built. Mostly like big circus tents at first, then replaced by more permanent structures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFMKanwcFsyTCepel-L0UlVYQWpMl-UiRHLVdZagu20Rz8C-tugcRoW3QjXeLCXZITU22JsWZKsO7jGoWGQ0kia2ym7uGN3y1SLqzFQpwZMRgW38yW0klIna69xWz6ZYwvMtj6TIf7bU/s1600/Awin7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFMKanwcFsyTCepel-L0UlVYQWpMl-UiRHLVdZagu20Rz8C-tugcRoW3QjXeLCXZITU22JsWZKsO7jGoWGQ0kia2ym7uGN3y1SLqzFQpwZMRgW38yW0klIna69xWz6ZYwvMtj6TIf7bU/s320/Awin7.jpg" width="320" /></a>What they thought would be a playground for families became, well, actually a playground for families. They built a casino for sure, but there were giant park like pools, and a coliseum style venue where you would have once expected a banjo to be played that now housed performances from the likes of Hall & Oates, Willie Nelson, Lil' Wayne, and Weezer. There are all kinds of restaurants to enjoy and tons of activities. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I love seeing live music, so having a world class act performing minutes from our front door is as my kids say, pretty awesome.<br />
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Winstar is always a lot of fun for us to visit in our downtime, and our guests always come back with great stories. People watching is for sure a guilty pleasure I indulge in and if you do too, there are few places you can see such a varied amount of people in one place. I have seen grannys in zany t-shirts sitting next to gentlemen in 3 piece suits. The Bond-like juxtaposition to the mob-mom from the Goonies on vacay at the slots is something to behold for sure! </div>
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-46041189134864743142018-05-03T19:04:00.000-05:002018-05-04T18:00:40.932-05:00Sibling City Rivalry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszolGGFRoRNttFt7LzUVfQIMI-KJaJzwfmEXJST3M1HzS6-zC1D9oOpiKdKErHycrilSXRlUWS70KkRGV6l0RCd3Oc1DZcw0R8nPEeLyvqjURegJCH3HpwJbNaZXi_1lPg83Cp5ZW1JQ/s1600/Kelly5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="833" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszolGGFRoRNttFt7LzUVfQIMI-KJaJzwfmEXJST3M1HzS6-zC1D9oOpiKdKErHycrilSXRlUWS70KkRGV6l0RCd3Oc1DZcw0R8nPEeLyvqjURegJCH3HpwJbNaZXi_1lPg83Cp5ZW1JQ/s320/Kelly5.jpg" width="320" /></a>I really enjoy getting around to the small towns here in the north Texas hill country, as you may have gathered if you have read my other blog posts. Most think all these little places are the same, but that is so far from the truth. Each of these hamlets has a certain specific charm, and soul. There is a certain sport in learning what that is, as many small towns are skeptical of outsiders. It is a foreign concept for most people from large cities on the outside looking in at these tiny communities to know what it is like to know almost everyone that lives in your town. There is a certain finesse required to get to know what these places are all about from the locals' perspectives.<br />
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One of these towns is our neighbor to the West, St. Jo. Muenster and St. Jo have a certain familial tie and consequently, a bit of a sibling rivalry. Many of the larger families in the area are spread from Lindsay, Valley View, and Gainesville to the East to St. Jo and Nocona to the West, and all the little spots around and in between. But, people from St. Jo and Muenster, while often related, will still poke some tongue in cheek fun at one another. The jovial nature of the people around here can be found in the name itself. When I first heard of St. Jo, I assumed it was named after a patron saint or something like that. Curiosity eventually caught up to me so I checked it out at the Stonewall Saloon Museum on the town square. Originally, St. Jo was a trading post at the head of the Elm fork of the Trinity river, where the California and Chisolm trails both had access to it. One of the founders, named Joe Howell, was a tea totaller, and thus was given the name "St. Jo" as a joke. Which stuck to the town name! All jokes aside, though, St. Jo is nestled in a gorgeous countryside and has so many unexpected little nuances to offer, that people often never get to take in all the great things about it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBW5UFDZzCPsguf5-OCF93Ket-8E701mTk4f1moKtVAUjonaU2KqazNXvPBe6XND_vA6piKcSKkkkAyxL7qeydF6dKDF3KSPZ_MtHuAIsSTBMakzRhyphenhyphenurKoWHkSGH6dqhV8nEzjQ7EuY/s1600/Kelly8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="960" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBW5UFDZzCPsguf5-OCF93Ket-8E701mTk4f1moKtVAUjonaU2KqazNXvPBe6XND_vA6piKcSKkkkAyxL7qeydF6dKDF3KSPZ_MtHuAIsSTBMakzRhyphenhyphenurKoWHkSGH6dqhV8nEzjQ7EuY/s320/Kelly8.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
If you are in the area doing some shopping, which there is plenty of at all the cool shops in town, make sure you hit the square. This spot features some great places to see and spend. If you want to see some history, the Stonewall Saloon Museum has just what you are looking for. For shopping, there are some great options, like Panache, Gypsy Trail, The Vintage Market, and Trailtown Treasures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM3hjzGN1LwuQMARUssgePsEbehBWPju6Km_fm2uqOJUY8_PTODzxDo6FnDMiW5dw8KyzEcu_zHRhXo6VjJZa2s7trw7EH0Br1wXdBFwlJm5Inv_kifnlPxUpQS_uhptGa2KrOBLMm2E/s1600/Kelly7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM3hjzGN1LwuQMARUssgePsEbehBWPju6Km_fm2uqOJUY8_PTODzxDo6FnDMiW5dw8KyzEcu_zHRhXo6VjJZa2s7trw7EH0Br1wXdBFwlJm5Inv_kifnlPxUpQS_uhptGa2KrOBLMm2E/s320/Kelly7.jpg" width="240" /></a>One of the more widely, albeit niche, famous things about St. Jo is a little place on the square called C.T. Chappell Boot Shop. This shop has been here for 3 generations of boot makers! Highly lauded, it is written about and cited in Texas Monthly as well as in many books about boots, boot making, and leather work. There is a certain prestige in having a pair of these boots. Any ol' tenderfoot, fresh off the Uhaul with California tags can stroll into Allen Boots off Congress street in Austin and walk out with some $1,500 Lucchese's and turn a head or two, but a pair of Chappell's boots are a real rare commodity. Each pair is hand made to the owner's foot and by Carl himself. They also offer seminars on boot making if you are so interested. If this piqued your interest, you should call ahead before you expect to take a pair of your own home as there is a wait list, but, the store is something to behold whether he is making your pair or not!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZfO7xPwYiSiaOIpBNvG94QZGYmdPSkDO50__2SQA2LspBPFD7y1l3Jr9O_5GkF7pgmlCcQIEZ-3xeyz2rULn4Mj-MZp2BpSW3_cchV3vBOaA0wwOZ_axS32yhDnUSH8a3f2MOPRC_VY/s1600/Kelly+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZfO7xPwYiSiaOIpBNvG94QZGYmdPSkDO50__2SQA2LspBPFD7y1l3Jr9O_5GkF7pgmlCcQIEZ-3xeyz2rULn4Mj-MZp2BpSW3_cchV3vBOaA0wwOZ_axS32yhDnUSH8a3f2MOPRC_VY/s320/Kelly+6.jpg" width="213" /></a>After shopping, don't miss taking in the scenic surroundings on one of the great drives around the countryside in St. Jo, you can head to the Devil's Backbone, a ridge that Kiowa and Comanche used in the past as a lookout because the view of the area was so vast. Just south of town, is a place called the Running N Ranch. Amarillo has it's more well known Cadillac Ranch, but we have our own local eccentric artist putting in cool art pieces for the world to see. Earl Nunnely retired and started spending his golden years creating! It's a private property, but the owner is used to people coming by, a lot of bikers, especially, and even moved his fence so people could stop and check out the art installations.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDwfdzRyj-uyFYvIn3H8gNqnodXtPvbneaS95k8lDXwLh3bf3N1mRKz84ibmZk70cdmjOxJWeqjh8jeyPOkOrrfJvPxRRlVY-NIqJbiS29CLQe7jN3Lzi1t0EnYPuHgczKJndDv3nTy0/s1600/Kelly+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDwfdzRyj-uyFYvIn3H8gNqnodXtPvbneaS95k8lDXwLh3bf3N1mRKz84ibmZk70cdmjOxJWeqjh8jeyPOkOrrfJvPxRRlVY-NIqJbiS29CLQe7jN3Lzi1t0EnYPuHgczKJndDv3nTy0/s1600/Kelly+3.jpg" /></a><br />
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If you are starting to work up a hunger from your day, make sure you check out Lazy Heart Grill on the square. They have great food, but my favorite thing comes after dinner, Buttermilk Pecan Pie or a jar of Bannana Pudding! This is such a cute place to kick back and fill up. I like coming on weekend nights because they usually have a cowboy or two singing songs on the mic! If you get lucky, you might catch one of our local butchers, here in Muenster, Kelly Bob, he plays there often.<br />
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-83693445788396860992018-04-23T18:57:00.003-05:002018-04-23T18:57:19.787-05:00Hometown Is Where the Heart Is<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6QyV4lx6OeYXMDGZXRDi0PtCQkTVEDWdVMDGcT07i8zlK59f2bAXq9McGdHLwizHEaE-cNlelZG8SB8YF-Tfs7Ljb1F23pkaYDhbHpxkhPcfSKBKYOnx_9GHeYBFuu2RD6sXg_K8yPc/s1600/muens+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6QyV4lx6OeYXMDGZXRDi0PtCQkTVEDWdVMDGcT07i8zlK59f2bAXq9McGdHLwizHEaE-cNlelZG8SB8YF-Tfs7Ljb1F23pkaYDhbHpxkhPcfSKBKYOnx_9GHeYBFuu2RD6sXg_K8yPc/s320/muens+3.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAekY1D2EyC11u7c_AivQuXq0UVOUAnE5WcUOHp-IT5Wkn0gveHY2li9I8NmelGv-SA9I36nlfEP-t363FWZxpe_ckZUO4zzDDEPfUILdH-lULLVyTFH7X3JQa9qEwq39BR9L1bahPp0/s1600/muens+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="576" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAekY1D2EyC11u7c_AivQuXq0UVOUAnE5WcUOHp-IT5Wkn0gveHY2li9I8NmelGv-SA9I36nlfEP-t363FWZxpe_ckZUO4zzDDEPfUILdH-lULLVyTFH7X3JQa9qEwq39BR9L1bahPp0/s320/muens+5.jpg" width="320" /></a>When we have guests stay with us, one thing we strive to provide is a feeling that they are at home while away. We can offer lots of little homely touches, and be as welcoming as possible, but one thing that really draws you in is where we are. It occurred to me that I should share a bit of what our home is like for us. So much of why we love it here, as much as the beautiful surroundings, is in the community we are a part of. I want to take a moment to five you a taste of what our town is like from the inside looking out.<br />
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People always talk about living in a small town with similar cliches. You could rob the whole town blind during a football, basketball, or baseball game, and if someone goes to state, you may not even find the town.They say if you sneeze at the post office, someone will say gesundheit at the bank, and it is true. In such a small community, everyone knows pretty much everything about everyone, but they also care about everyone, and everyone has an opinion on everything. It's nice, though, whenever something great is going on in your life, everyone congratulates you, and when there is tragedy, everyone is there to make sure you are doing alright. <br />
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So many times I have found myself in some small need and not even had to ask for a hand because someone was already there to help. That's just the nature of people here in Muenster, they have big hearts and are always ready to give. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIBPC917W26ln0IkKsMKcX4QmUEtln2julSte-djkwzq-3YgcUSlV9V3ZVAeW2ixhOS7Rp43P2wwYsWUxga63DfZ_W6tiSh0_pPo85YpCqUZQNrLZGTyYGfdJtOcCNfT0NOIo95BZfWw/s1600/Muens+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIBPC917W26ln0IkKsMKcX4QmUEtln2julSte-djkwzq-3YgcUSlV9V3ZVAeW2ixhOS7Rp43P2wwYsWUxga63DfZ_W6tiSh0_pPo85YpCqUZQNrLZGTyYGfdJtOcCNfT0NOIo95BZfWw/s1600/Muens+1.jpg" /></a>We have a lot of groups like the Jaycees, school alumni associations, Knights of Columbus, etc... that are always throwing a fish fry or a crawfish boil to raise funds for a charity, and these people love to give. Heck, even our fire department is volunteer! It is not at all uncommon for an item like a jar of grandma's pickles to go for thousands of dollars at a charity silent auction at the community Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Though in all fairness, homemade pickles are pretty dang good.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnX-XWxPq5r5YYSPRdRasyRimnwXacBkpQKFdR8WKWy2qR_buJFlRkW44Ft3ZlqbV-ysjbWfvYGHf-7TDloQe2nwx-En9v69-qKsiNQQm_15tEwNji7Q_F16f5gobSll2TQ7v5BTJXbGg/s1600/muens+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnX-XWxPq5r5YYSPRdRasyRimnwXacBkpQKFdR8WKWy2qR_buJFlRkW44Ft3ZlqbV-ysjbWfvYGHf-7TDloQe2nwx-En9v69-qKsiNQQm_15tEwNji7Q_F16f5gobSll2TQ7v5BTJXbGg/s1600/muens+4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDt8dV9gNyTJ2BpA0kzfA22x5BuD9ATmryFASqtb_Ka-HtA3p652tLxkc-tAtiif-s2n8niToDEsWCVAbLsLrtGjpTsd1MOad0-FIB-hrbZINyxK5rxQPfxV4KXE5KDu2WdRGISl1mGw/s1600/muens+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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Guests often ask what we do, living in Muenster. For such a small town, there are a lot of things going on around here, and most of it is to raise money. People here are really athletic, so the fun runs are really popular as well as the bike race at Germanfest. It seems like every other week has some sort of event from concerts to alumni/student games to festivals like Germanfest and Oktoberfest that all the nonprofits in the area throw, so life here is a little more exciting than you'd think!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhx2wyv7tRFQmGGQQZSJ50LodJtu7FLmI1oxfM2TEa1H9xYs7wxUlsj5ybvJ3fFmWjRCt3TVPfUG7PoacuirpLBZ8g-hJRdBY_nPCtSGjQDmjxjTmEhYxSTjLTsHlv_qbxHpFkUNtVWI/s1600/muens6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhx2wyv7tRFQmGGQQZSJ50LodJtu7FLmI1oxfM2TEa1H9xYs7wxUlsj5ybvJ3fFmWjRCt3TVPfUG7PoacuirpLBZ8g-hJRdBY_nPCtSGjQDmjxjTmEhYxSTjLTsHlv_qbxHpFkUNtVWI/s1600/muens6.jpg" /></a><br />
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People here won't give each other directions with road names or numbers, but more commonly things like "It's north of town, take the turnoff about 4 telephone poles past Mike's house". This sounds crazy, but it works well here. Everyone knows Mike, and where he lives. When we lived in Houston, years ago, I didn't know my neighbors, let alone the whole town.<br />
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When we first moved here, my son had parked his truck at the bottom of a hill down by the creek. A rainstorm came through an<span style="text-align: center;">d he couldn't get it up the hill because of the mud. Our new neighbor saw what was going on and came right over with his tractor and pulled him up to the road. Nobody really thinks about it, that's just the way its always been.</span><br />
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-41269934348197221842018-04-17T18:47:00.001-05:002018-04-17T18:47:31.897-05:00The Sound of SummerAs things are starting to even out to a warm temperature and soon escalating to a hot one, I can feel my soul longing for one of my favorite Summertime things, outdoor live music. Having children who lived in Austin and San Antonio over the years, I have had the chance to enjoy shows all over the state, and been blown away, but what we have to offer locally can definitely hold it's own. Of these, Gainesville has one of my favorite offerings with Gainesville Summer Sounds (http://www.gainesvillesummersounds.com/). <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOadnvOfsHINPN85NhialsQkt3BJBx4neVGDzjpsm5zRQV1pP2CzZkC78mLdTql-DQY91AIxZZhakC8I0_nNFRWHAzJgauRxvynGBOGUFTTTbs8VpNZgGvdp9taASXmWEqSo_UdF1xXU/s1600/gaines+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="960" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOadnvOfsHINPN85NhialsQkt3BJBx4neVGDzjpsm5zRQV1pP2CzZkC78mLdTql-DQY91AIxZZhakC8I0_nNFRWHAzJgauRxvynGBOGUFTTTbs8VpNZgGvdp9taASXmWEqSo_UdF1xXU/s320/gaines+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>One of the more underrated towns in Texas has to be Gainesville. Most just drive past on Hwy 82 or I-35 which both cut through the town, and along both lie most of the same things you see as you pull through most small Texas towns. Some fast food, gas stations, grocery stores, etc... would belie what is just off the beaten path. Downtown Gainesville is easily one of the more charming civic centers you can come across in this state full of hidden gems. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJusXvLJTGZfs_A5SLCj7EOd02N-gPKAR526KC4QrRV3SMgT6QCdlBMCFUOuPIiu6c6HPmi1J6a3wAfYiOO4bTXcZc6QN7sAo45FlwlccUo7oBRfD25IRtoib2kODbSuRaOVp21xEYHg/s1600/gaines+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJusXvLJTGZfs_A5SLCj7EOd02N-gPKAR526KC4QrRV3SMgT6QCdlBMCFUOuPIiu6c6HPmi1J6a3wAfYiOO4bTXcZc6QN7sAo45FlwlccUo7oBRfD25IRtoib2kODbSuRaOVp21xEYHg/s320/gaines+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>With such a beautiful soul to showoff, Gainesville has a short 3 set series of monthly concerts in the Summer situated right on town square, next to the courthouse. They pair well known and surprisingly popular acts with some of our amazing local talent for family friendly shows that are just perfect. <br />
These shows are no small affair, with the local people coming out early to set up camping chairs in the blocked off streets and blankets in the lawns of the square. It feels electric even before the musicians start playing as the warm day winds down and starts to cool while the event just warms up. Families are settling in and starting to have fun, and the whole place is so vibrant with joies de vivre!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY7TNOHow4fjWKtEyZJSRehyphenhyphenjEpafAeZyXdDOI76XU_P_uTlimMyZqCx8PcAhM-y_wekkMIgFeEHRz7txFFv9YXeDzP-RlJSrRGfuHJg_rcg10crgtISggRiN3C3ITpiaxJJwsEKKA2o/s1600/gaines+Bris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY7TNOHow4fjWKtEyZJSRehyphenhyphenjEpafAeZyXdDOI76XU_P_uTlimMyZqCx8PcAhM-y_wekkMIgFeEHRz7txFFv9YXeDzP-RlJSrRGfuHJg_rcg10crgtISggRiN3C3ITpiaxJJwsEKKA2o/s320/gaines+Bris.jpg" width="240" /></a>Before the bands even kick off, the vendors are up and running so people can "pregame" and get food and drinks. There are a lot of options with restaurants around and vendor tents set up to serve the crowd. Even though we tend to go and grab snacks here an there, I always pack a basket with some treats. It has become a bit of a tradition to pick up some brisket from our secret place, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jazs-Bbq/407975039215484, on the way to town, and Big Red. It should be noted that I cannot stand Big Red, but my son insists is Texas BBQ tradition, which he takes very seriously... I usually just take a sip of his to honor tradition. Just like his single black eyed pea on new years day, to honor tradition.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l8W9yvt9TR6lCc8pzkhfXGKvGxa4i35S7i-D45gfnRD9Z51hJ8f_Yq1faCSQg2DzWuJY_kTt5bsQ1_1OgtVyiySIyShgWAOowc5QRx28yjwuYERXzDOHV0oVsQ65AuaM1HrOuFZgCwE/s1600/gaines+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l8W9yvt9TR6lCc8pzkhfXGKvGxa4i35S7i-D45gfnRD9Z51hJ8f_Yq1faCSQg2DzWuJY_kTt5bsQ1_1OgtVyiySIyShgWAOowc5QRx28yjwuYERXzDOHV0oVsQ65AuaM1HrOuFZgCwE/s320/gaines+3.jpg" width="320" /></a>With our bellies lined and a cold one in our hands just in time, we are ready for the music to kick off. When it does, the place goes crazy. Kids are running around like it's the 50's, chasing fireflies as the sun starts to set, and everyone is dancing or swaying to the songs. As the first evening breeze starts to blow, I think "This is what I love about Summer"!<br />
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Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-64452878604006468682018-04-03T20:48:00.001-05:002018-04-03T20:48:58.863-05:00We're Nocona Take It!Spring time in Texas is when the fun starts. All the dance halls and outdoor stages shake the dust off and start cracking. With the weather warming up and a perfectly timed day off between spring showers, I found myself on another fun excursion. This time, my husband and I were off to Nocona, TX.<br />
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Nocona is known for many things varying from fame (Nocona Boots) to infamy (the Black Widow serial killing nurse), but we are only interested in the fun times today. Nocona is following suit with so much of north Texas in a vibrant explosion of culture. From revitalization of old buildings to new tastes popping up in fun places, they are on top of their game in this little slice of the lone star.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmdzsanmsjiAzJmaqmzGVRReeP1uvw1vmPEWWUg0_MvYtCwlAjKF5ESf1-6Qt6VvYE-zMtnGM5TjyrmF1IpsIsNIvAyyFs8AFqxDF7vVsI7E1r5MXA6j6839QilQz9bKOhyphenhyphenSj6t-ThYU/s1600/a+car+muse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="681" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmdzsanmsjiAzJmaqmzGVRReeP1uvw1vmPEWWUg0_MvYtCwlAjKF5ESf1-6Qt6VvYE-zMtnGM5TjyrmF1IpsIsNIvAyyFs8AFqxDF7vVsI7E1r5MXA6j6839QilQz9bKOhyphenhyphenSj6t-ThYU/s320/a+car+muse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the start of our day, we go to what was once the fabled Nocona Boot factory. The headquarters of this old boot maker has long since moved to El Paso, but in it's stead, has popped up a classic car museum. My husband being a lover of all things four wheeled, or two, and old insisted we start there. I like shiny things, so I was happy to oblige.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-4BFgcjGbOimV8eoVgSUNBw1q466nw7W0lSobrPwpi-jDAhxi5Qln7oaf27AulEGck8lhYHzchdFJGdk2W2T0GJdlxF5mg7sYlEAAAclpKsgjl6k7ReYBttxyexvQn_1awmT__-hoDY/s1600/a+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1100" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-4BFgcjGbOimV8eoVgSUNBw1q466nw7W0lSobrPwpi-jDAhxi5Qln7oaf27AulEGck8lhYHzchdFJGdk2W2T0GJdlxF5mg7sYlEAAAclpKsgjl6k7ReYBttxyexvQn_1awmT__-hoDY/s320/a+car.jpg" width="320" /></a>The museum oozes with charm from the get go with old gas pumps outside next to benches that welcome passers by to take a break and peer into the past. On the inside we peruse tons of classic cars and trucks that I thought were cute, but the hubby was drooling over. When he caught my interest drawn to one particular car, he got excited and started spouting off facts and figures about it that made little difference to me. I bet if he knew that the little red Camaro I was looking at caught my eye because it was the same kind driven by a high school crush of mine, he would have been a little less excited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSjEqyfSotxXSIFFqepkKnqSlEA19Ed_y-WBY7guq-MnO6o8kqjmA2cLlzxDgu7xqQ6tYGOXmKqPATYUQQgthDphdLpWrtBl7kDKleENf_l7mL1F-7KA53P5HohXKYmjxB3is2ZMLWtc/s1600/a+beer+tii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSjEqyfSotxXSIFFqepkKnqSlEA19Ed_y-WBY7guq-MnO6o8kqjmA2cLlzxDgu7xqQ6tYGOXmKqPATYUQQgthDphdLpWrtBl7kDKleENf_l7mL1F-7KA53P5HohXKYmjxB3is2ZMLWtc/s320/a+beer+tii.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As the warm day pressed on, we were both pretty thirsty and ready for a change of gears (pun intended). We made our way to a really cool newcomer to the north Texas scene, Nocona Brewery. This place is amazing. The architecture and design are not what you would expect from a small town Texas brewery. Touches of glass and shiny metal accents in juxtaposition to vintage touches like refurbished fifties style rocket pedal car make for a perfect ambiance for cold beer consumption. They have some really great options, and while the stout is very good, I was so thankful for the cold lager to quench my thirst! They offer live music and often have BBQ on site for a full night without going anywhere else. However, we had plans made already for that evening, so on we went.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmdzsanmsjiAzJmaqmzGVRReeP1uvw1vmPEWWUg0_MvYtCwlAjKF5ESf1-6Qt6VvYE-zMtnGM5TjyrmF1IpsIsNIvAyyFs8AFqxDF7vVsI7E1r5MXA6j6839QilQz9bKOhyphenhyphenSj6t-ThYU/s1600/a+car+muse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtkU7AuMgAkolA4TqEnl91TPzar1V740nP6q9a0ay-PUc53B_vUiGdF1HIqTKzqJqYKAdUDXYHxwHQ81u963I3ejsf8g1PkRHXCS3_PgxOE8lgIJT8uqlHRb6VptAEqoJqRZrozP0tkA/s1600/a+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtkU7AuMgAkolA4TqEnl91TPzar1V740nP6q9a0ay-PUc53B_vUiGdF1HIqTKzqJqYKAdUDXYHxwHQ81u963I3ejsf8g1PkRHXCS3_PgxOE8lgIJT8uqlHRb6VptAEqoJqRZrozP0tkA/s320/a+beer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK74GNHVLbNhwOKdEhyphenhyphenkMnRK1TYKbKJHq3RADapijFgjcOuyLA6ShU1OzFMtdQbthArWXwpHMirSmDqs29yLQ9DFC2XEZwgBxUfeAcK24X8MbXNOBFYDtQQlCQwWzUEH6Ne42q2HxpQw/s1600/a+saloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK74GNHVLbNhwOKdEhyphenhyphenkMnRK1TYKbKJHq3RADapijFgjcOuyLA6ShU1OzFMtdQbthArWXwpHMirSmDqs29yLQ9DFC2XEZwgBxUfeAcK24X8MbXNOBFYDtQQlCQwWzUEH6Ne42q2HxpQw/s1600/a+saloon.jpg" /></a>From here, we went on to Daddy Sam's Saloon and Gertie's Dance Hall on the town square. This is a really neat project come to fruition. What was a grocery store once, was recreated by the original owner's grandson into something entirely new, a saloon and dance hall. Daddy Sam's oozes old time feel in every direction from the ceiling covered in antique pressed tin tiles to the black an white photos and sassy bar signs in every direction. The music here is great with touring acts that are hard to beat or even find in such an intimate setting. <br />
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Nocona is such a special place, that I always find myself entertaining the idea of moving here for at least a moment whenever I come for a visit. Fortunately, it's close enough<br />
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to make visits a common thing!Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584539983351589851.post-6226235871606804602018-03-27T18:05:00.000-05:002018-03-27T18:05:07.417-05:00The Land of Goat Milk and Honey Bees <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBAofdOTeeD-hTeZHRNvNcbpQmPqCAfGLFTtXmrjP8o4i3Dkbq-MgZqwnMZxrTnvjpfQoD4RCLxokKHFv2IPkhjpNRyFR_wdRAC6aVJisPO_3kvAFV8rty1SMyqWWncFMtXK2Vdq06nI/s1600/29681395_10213132918411495_371829828_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBAofdOTeeD-hTeZHRNvNcbpQmPqCAfGLFTtXmrjP8o4i3Dkbq-MgZqwnMZxrTnvjpfQoD4RCLxokKHFv2IPkhjpNRyFR_wdRAC6aVJisPO_3kvAFV8rty1SMyqWWncFMtXK2Vdq06nI/s320/29681395_10213132918411495_371829828_o.jpg" width="180" /></a>One thing people notice when they come up the drive to the main house is a little sign that says "Goat Milking 10 AM". When they often ask about it, the explanation is that we get all the milk we use in our goats milk cheeses from Skittles and Clover, our mama goats. We started to get a lot of guests who would then ask if they could join us in the morning as the goats got milked. Too often, people don't know the extent to which we source our food from our own land. Most places that refer to themselves as "farm to table" mean that they know the farm that brought the food to the kitchen that goes to their table. Here, we do, too, this one!<br />
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I thought that I'd take you with me through the routine since there seems to be some interest in it. Each morning, we start by sanitizing the bottles that will hold the milk. I like to use quart sized milk jars so that it is easier to fill each and pour precise measures with when needed, and also more wieldy between the goats legs. After they are clean, we load them up into the milking basket with cleaning supplies and head to the goat barn below the Provence and Alsace suites.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvWBd-a350RJZZurIUhjzYOrY3H2EcIHPj9bvDdjlxuR4U0ayRSbbl8EpAAzGThuccBJwwbS0nMaVJ07s_92oHYY-oVcO3GoJyHNTR8dNFl6JdvB9fRh3lUl3HlrtHJeMk3aCemN_vzQ/s1600/29634649_10213132918451496_387655867_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvWBd-a350RJZZurIUhjzYOrY3H2EcIHPj9bvDdjlxuR4U0ayRSbbl8EpAAzGThuccBJwwbS0nMaVJ07s_92oHYY-oVcO3GoJyHNTR8dNFl6JdvB9fRh3lUl3HlrtHJeMk3aCemN_vzQ/s320/29634649_10213132918451496_387655867_o+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>Brennan, our dog, thinks he is a shepherd. He is a Yorkie, not a Collie, as he would have you think, and as such, his herding instincts are... lacking. Still, it is the highlight of his day, so we let him tag along. He's at least learned he has to wait until we have a lady in the stall until he gets to "herd" the rest.<br />
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Most people don't realize how smart goats really are. They know us as we approach, like our dogs. They are surprisingly good at problem solving, as well. They can tackle such complicated problems as "the latch on the gate between us and the rose bushes" quite easily, so we have to be creative with them to keep them in the enclosure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWSXC9TNNCki5HeIz7TMIGnD-Es5Bwo3FbNbQQGDG136yXuNVj5Y7SixiEtcJS0FX2DmtMI3bNmPqjMMe0SYERMGI4twA9SIEM67ze5LnWXoaO86LFOA-rcoIfTPoRJYcK9OugdC9CT8/s1600/20180324_170813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWSXC9TNNCki5HeIz7TMIGnD-Es5Bwo3FbNbQQGDG136yXuNVj5Y7SixiEtcJS0FX2DmtMI3bNmPqjMMe0SYERMGI4twA9SIEM67ze5LnWXoaO86LFOA-rcoIfTPoRJYcK9OugdC9CT8/s320/20180324_170813.jpg" width="320" /></a>As we approach, the goats come running. They know what time it is! The ladies are ready to be milked, and the ram and the two kids are ready for breakfast. Skittles gives more milk than Clover and she is always first in line at the milking stall when I open the gate to let her in. She then hops up on the milking platform and pushes her head into the security lock where her personal bucket of feed goes. The latch goes up, the pin goes in and we are ready to rumble.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz0JUxGAHIfl3AqL2h7qttx_-vymSrq_HlRAsznN9s9O0PcoeKpyga0hntV8tjbDDhDMBB3MZqc_HcPlHTgcbngkC-khRi17BaJMAgjJdMXFbsaJi6n5-m6fn4JwgxTr6gEpKpRHzJhQ/s1600/29746686_10213132919051511_1856938276_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz0JUxGAHIfl3AqL2h7qttx_-vymSrq_HlRAsznN9s9O0PcoeKpyga0hntV8tjbDDhDMBB3MZqc_HcPlHTgcbngkC-khRi17BaJMAgjJdMXFbsaJi6n5-m6fn4JwgxTr6gEpKpRHzJhQ/s320/29746686_10213132919051511_1856938276_o.jpg" width="180" /></a>First step is to clean the udders and nipples to make sure they don't develop any infections and to ensure the milk is clean as we take it. Once that is done, I place a bottle below the tip of the teet and clamp my fingers at the base of the nipple, then squeeze towards the tip like a ziplock bag full of water with a hole in the corner. This technique seems simple to master, but can take a bit of practice to get it just right. My husband is twice as fast as I am at knocking out the process, but I like to think I have more finesse. It's one of those better because it was milked with love situations for me.<br />
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We go until the udder is emptied, usually around a gallon per goat per morning. Once the girl is finished giving, we do another cleaning to make sure she is good to go and then let the clamp loose. The happy goat bounds off to find more hay or greens to nibble on and the kids chase after.<br />
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After gathering up the supplies, we return to the kitchen and strain, and separate the milk for it's intended uses and store them in refrigeration if the milk is not immediately being used. And that's a wrap, ladies and Gentlement!<br />
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If you are going to be staying with us and would like to watch the milking or even help, feel free to let us know at any time. We love the company.<br />
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<br />Elm Creek Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04952067748512406794noreply@blogger.com