March seems intent on going out like a lion; a dreary, rainy lion.  But we just have to remember that the rain is what makes everything so green and beautiful in the spring.  And we promise, spring IS coming!! It will look something like this:

April will be coffee tasting month here at Brampton.  We thought it would be fun and informative to ask our guests for their input on different coffees that we have used in the past few years.  We all have our favorites that will be put to the test.   It can be challenging to taste-test coffee:  what to use for a pala  te cleanser: plain bread, something sweet, or a forkful of scrambled eggs??  What about regular vs. decaf?  We don’t want our guests all revved up and unable to relax!! Ah, the difficulties of being an innkeeper…

One of the very best accompaniments to coffee are these pecan shortbread cookies.  Like any good shortbread, they  melt in your mouth and are addictive.   Try them at home and see for yourself!

Pecan Short Bread

Makes 18

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (bake in 325 oven for 10 min. Be careful not to burn the nuts)

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a bit more for preparation

¾ cup confectioners sugar

½ cup cold (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a food processor, pulse pecans until medium to finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In the food processor, blend flour, sugar, butter, and salt until dough barely holds together. Add reserved pecans. Pulse 2 or 3 times, just to incorporate.

Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. If dough is sticky, dust with a hint of more flour. With a fork, prick dough several times across top.

Bake until lightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Use foil overhang to lift shortbread from pan onto cutting board. With a serrated knife, carefully cut warm shortbread into 16 squares. Cool squares completely on a rack before serving.

Can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days however they never last that long at the inn!

Now that March is here, everyone is suffering a bit from cabin fever: all that snow and shoveling and mud and muck.  It’s enough to make anyone wish they were living in the Keys!  But, spring is right around the corner we are oh, so ready for it.  That includes all our critters, too.

As many of you know, we are animal lovers here at the Brampton.  Danielle and Michael live with and cater to two Cairn terriers, Muffin and Charlie.  Rita supports two mutts, or to be politically correct, “composite breeds”, Dalia and Sidney, along with two inside only cats, Leo and Junior.

Of course, all our guests are familiar with Slipper, the cat concierge extraordinaire (just don’t ask him to get our of your way while you carry your bags up the front steps!)  But did you know that we have a pet friendly cottage just waiting for you and your four-legged friend?  Russell’s Cottage is the home away from home for many of our regular 4 legged guests.  There is Tweed, the border collie from New Jersey;  Sadie the terrier from Virginia; Abigail and Fiona, the schnauzers sisters from Baltimore; Molly the Burmese mountain dog, whose parents got married here, and whose grandparents are frequent guests;  and Izzy, the chocolate lab puppy, whose picture you can see on Trip Advisor.

Separate from the main house, but just a few steps away, Russell’s cottage is private and comfortable.  It has a king sized bed, a wood burning fire place, and a large bathroom with an oversized tub and shower.  There is also a small private sitting area behind the cottage.   Brampton’s 25 acres are great for leashed dog walking, and Chestertown itself is a very dog friendly town.  Many shops have resident dogs or cats and when the weather permits it, there are even outdoor dining areas that will allow your well-behaved dog to sit with you while you dine.

In the area there are plenty of places to go with your dog:

One of the most popular spots around is Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge, just south of Rock Hall, and about a 15 minute drive from the inn.  There are trails and observation areas where you will see all kinds of water fowl, ospreys and bald eagles.  Your leashed dog will enjoy the opportunity to smell new smells and maybe even take a dip in the water.  Many trails end up near the river or bay.

 http://www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/

Another beautiful spot is Adkins Arboretum, a 400-acre native garden and preserve.  There are 4 miles of paths and your leashed dog is welcome!  It is particularly nice on a hot day, as most of the paths are under the canopy of large trees and nice and shady.

 http://www.adkinsarboretum.org/

There are other spots we’d be happy to share with you if you are traveling with a furry friend.  We even bake our own dog biscuits to welcome them!  Here is a recipe for you to try at home. They smell so good when they are baking, you might even want to taste it yourself…

CHEESEY DOG BISCUITS

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4-5 tablespoons water
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.

Combine flour, cheese, garlic and oil in a food processor. Cover and process until mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
While machine is running, slowly add water until mixture comes together in a ball. 
Remove from machine and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness on lightly floured surface.  Cut out with bone shaped cookie cutter or into any shape you want. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.  Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.  Refrigerate or freeze.
 

February was a snowy one to say the least. During that first storm, five couples decided to go ahead and join us despite the precarious predictions. Most of the snow came down on Saturday so folks were able to get here on Friday night, go out to dinner and then settle into the inn.  On Saturday, everything was closed and so all five couples took advantage of our Fireside Chili picnic dinner.  Yummy turkey chili, a green salad, a baguette and a giant brownie for dessert, accompanied by a bottle of wine.  Everybody was happy!!

On Sunday the sun was shining and we were ready for some out door fun. Several guests took and shared pictures.   Some can  be found on our Facebook page.  The second storm was a brute as well and we were all so worried about the boxwoods:  they were laden with heavy snow and bent into all sorts of shapes.  We did lose some pieces, but mostly on the inside of the bushes so they still look nice as you approach the house.  Here’s hoping that we’ve seen the last of the severe weather for a while and March doesn’t act up too much!

We thought you might be interested in this article from the New York Times about B&B’s and men.  Specifically, what I like to call the “wallpaper effect”: 

 http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/travel/22prac.html

We would love to hear your thoughts on this…