Notes From the Madawaska Valley Inn

Good to Go

2012-01-18T17:43:00.000-05:00

No matter what your winter pleasure it's all good to go now. Xcountry, downhill, snowshoeing or snowmobiling. We had about 8" fall yesterday and last night and today dawned so beautiful it hurt.

Play in the snow then soak in the hot tub!

Declared a Success

2012-01-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

Well we have declared our first efforts a success. Both very yummy. A bit more fat in the mix the next time (we had made them quite lean) as they are perhaps a bit dry. When spring comes I predict the husband will be combining his two new toys and "smoked" sausage will be in our future. Something to look forward to.

Sausage Making 101

2012-01-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

In the Autumn, the husband happened to mention that he was thinking about trying to make his own sausage. Now fortunately or unfortunately, he made this utterance within earshot of "the children" (who are really only children to us.) Fast forward to Christmas and what is under the tree but the sausage making attachments for our Kitchenaid. The husband, I am sure, had long since forgotten any thoughts of sausage making but... you opened your mouth Mr. Fortune so now it is sausage making for you!

Italian

Today was the day. Industrial amounts of pork, salt and spices hit the kitchen along with the sausage casings (which take some getting use to!) Long story short it has been a lot of fun with great results. One batch of Italian (with fennel seed which I love) and one batch of savoury breakfast sausage with homegrown sage and summer savoury. It has been a long but satisfying day. Tomorrow will be the taste test. Stay tuned.

Savoury Breakfast

Snowmobile Trails Open - Limited

2012-01-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

It was a lovely sight yesterday to see the groomer come in. Thanks to all those who cleaned up after the ice storm. Nice snow again the night before last.

2012-01-01T09:47:00.000-05:00

Great news - Madawaska Mountain is now up and running and skiers and boarders are enjoying the snow!

Fresh Snow

Great News!

2012-01-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

Madawaska Mountain is now open and all the skiers and boarders are enjoying the snow!

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

Well it has been slow coming but worth the wait. Six inches last night and the sun is shining today. What more could anyone ask. Hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas and have fun planning your winter playground holiday!

New Store, New Menu, New Hours

2011-06-24T10:13:00.001-04:00

We've been very busy at the inn this spring making some big changes. We have added a great new country store for you to browse through. It has quite an ecclectic mix of merchandise. We were aiming for unusual, whimiscal, funny and delicious. I think we have done pretty well.

To go along with our new store we created a new menu and opened the restaurant all day. We have been smoking our own meat and fish and the results have been quite marvelous. The fruits of these labours are yours to enjoy. Pastrami, pulled pork, smoked brisket and salmon.

We created our own sauces for the pulled pork and the brisket and soon they

will be available for you to take home and use for your own barbeque.

Days a wastin' so I had better get going. More later.

June

2011-06-10T10:41:00.000-04:00

Obviously blogging is not my thing but I just had to share this morning. The gardens are starting to

pop. Peony, iris, lupins - all glorious.

I underestimated

2011-03-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

Just shoveled two walks and the car and called it quits. There is over a foot of new stuff out there and I shovelled twice yesterday! Butter tart day just turned into plow and shovel day!

.....still snowing

2011-03-06T07:45:00.000-05:00

No rain here in the Madawaska Valley folks. Wet heavy stuff yesterday and last night it got colder and man did it snow. Must be 6 or 8 inches of light stuff on top of the heavy. Haven't been out to shovel yet this morning to be more exact but trees are laden. Trails will be amazing.

Fresh Snow

2011-02-28T08:57:00.000-05:00

Well as you can see I am not a good blogger. Too many things in a day calling me away from my desk.
I guess that is a good thing. I did want to let everyone know that the snow is falling here big time this morning. After the very disappointing melt down last week we had 2 inches of fresh stuff yesterday and it is snowing hard today. Looking good for sledding going into march.

We had two groups here this weekend. One doing RAP and one just out for some day sledding and even with less than ideal conditions a good time was had by all.

Oh the Peonies!

2010-06-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

On top of the list for June's many virtues, has to be the peony. My love for them grows every year.
The gardens here at the inn have somehow managed to accumulate nine different varieties, some of which I know and some remain a mystery. They range from fuchsia pink to white, last for ages in a vase, smell divine, and the plant looks great in the garden till frost What more could you ask. Don't forget this June to stop and smell the peonies.

Had a brief getaway myself this week. A friend and I had a night in Ottawa. When you live in the country, you go to the city for your break but I had to laugh at our choices. We ate lunch sitting on a rock looking out over the Ottawa river. We stopped our tour of Rockcliffe Park when I saw what looked like a path into the bush. Sure enough it was a lovely walk through what appeared to be a very old estate which was mostly given back to nature. We also left the city early so we could take a scenic route home through the country.
So much for the city break.

What I wanted to mention was the noise. It was so loud in Ottawa with traffic, construction and industrial sized lawn mowers that I couldn't wait to get away. Apart from our lovely drinks and dinner at Zoe's in the Chateau Laurier it really was an assault to the senses. So take a break folks and come up for some peace and quiet - and while you are here you can smell the peonies.

Victoria Day Approaches

2010-05-18T10:37:00.000-04:00

Spring is my favourite time of the year and this year has been extremely kind. We have had a beautiful two months already and it isn't even the long weekend yet. The gardens are coming along ahead of schedule even with the snowy setback on Mother's Day weekend. Birds are everywhere again and the White Crowned Sparrow has been singing up a storm.

We've been busy starting a new line of homemade preserves for the inn as well as revamping our menu for summer. It's always a struggle to keep to the inside jobs when it is so gorgeous outside. A discipline I confess to not being very good at. There is always a weed to be pulled or a plant to be moved right now!

The long weekend is nearly here and with it, what is to me, the end of spring and the start of summer. Hope everyone has a happy and safe long weekend.

Spring Wine Tasting Dinner

2010-04-27T10:29:00.001-04:00

Saturday was our annual Spring Wine Tasting dinner and once again the weather was gorgeous. We always seem to be so lucky with that one. Warwick and I had been in the kitchen for a few days preparing and it was well worth the effort. Our guests were most appreciative and we had a great time. "A Night in Spain" was our theme. With so much great food and wine to choose from the hard part was narrowing it down. We went with a succession of six tapas then a main of Chorizo and Chick Pea Stew with Ensalada and lots of crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Of the five wines we served the two most popular seemed to be the Cava from Codorniu and Vina Zaco Tempranillo. The cava is a gorgeous dry champagne style wine and the tempranillo is a full bodied leathery red from Rioja. Really a must try.

April is drawing to a close and with it my favourite month of the year. It is so good for the soul to see spring unfolding and the sun's warmth returning. It is nearly always a good month here in the Madawaska Valley and yet people always seem to wait till late May before they venture north. Such a pity.

Well the earth and the weeds are calling me so I had best get moving.

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-20T11:48:00.005-04:00

The Madawaska Valley Inn's blog is under construction. Please check back soon for updates about the inn.