spring is here (coming fast)

Daffodils and Tulips are blooming so it must be so! Today I took my cruiser bikes in to get a tune up to be ready for Spring and bicycle rides to town and local wineries. This week-end a Mother and Daughter are coming to stay and visit the Whitman Campus. They will fly in and not need a car because we are only 2 blocks from campus and only 5 blocks from Main Street and a dozen or so restaurants. The weather promises to cooperate.

Yes, winter is here and the days are a bit grey at times but Walla Walla has fun, wine and good food even now. In fact the Christmas Season here is especially festive on Main Street. Lots of lights and the stores full of gift ideas.

Looking ahead past the Holiday season, the Bed and Breakfasts are offering a fabulous package week-end called Gourmet Getaways. Stay 2 nights in one of our 12 Bed and Breakfast Inns, take a cooking class (each one offered unique), eat what you cook/bake with a bottle of "paired" wine and receive an apron. For all the details go to the web site www.wwbbia.com. The Maxwell House hopes to see you this winter. We will make it warm, cozy and inviting with a fire in the fireplace, a cup of tea and warm cookies.

Gourmet Getaways Special

Walla Walla is just as nice and as much fun in winter as spring or fall so here is a reason to come over/down/up. The Maxwell House is offering a week-end special for 6 week-ends beginning February 19 through March 28, 2010. For $390.00 a couple, stay 2 nights, participate (hands on instruction) in a wine or culinary class given by local culinarian or wine educator, enjoy the fruit of the class (lunch) with two glasses of wine and an apron. The SPECIAL called GOURMET GETAWAYS is the third annual event for The Maxwell House and Wallla Walla.

Happy Thanksgiving

We think of cranberries at this time of year so I went back a few years to a recipe I got from Cooking Light magazine for CRANBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE. It was very well received this morning. In a springform pan melt 1T butter then add 1/2 cup brown sugar mixed with2 cups whole cranberries and 1 cup chopped walnuts (or not). For the cake mix 2 Tablespoons soft butter with 1 cup sugar and 2 eggs then add 1/1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnammon. Pour the cake mixture over the cranberry mixture and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn upside down on serving plate. Good anytime but especially nice when still warm out of the oven.

Share this great recipes with your friends and loved ones :)

Special Offer!!

The Maxwell House special of three mid week nights for $333.00 brought a mother daughter duo from Portland for some bonding and R and R. They really made of most of the time here, visiting wineries, shopping on Main Street, indulging in History at Fort Walla Walla and The Whitman Mission, and even getting in a bike ride between rain showers. The mornings were long and leisurely as they enjoyed breakfast with the coffee I serve from Walla Walla Roastery. They promised they would return as they didn't have time to "do it all" and I think they will.

Penny the InnKeeper

Off to the Symphony

My guests this week were very adventuresome. Two couples that did not know each other and hadn't talked about this in advance each took a trip to Palouse Falls. The Falls are about an hour from Walla Walla and then a short walk from the parking lot to view the falls. It was a rainly day but both couples said it was a special sight and well worth the trip. I had been there on a hot summer day and I am thinking they had a more enjoyable time. One couple bought bread and cheese and a bottle of wine and stayed in by the fire that night, the other couple ventured out to The Symphony after a quick meal at Backstage Bistro (just a short walk to Cordaner Hall on Whitman Campus where the Symphony performs). The next Symphany performance will be in December. Hope you come visit so you can check it out.

Best from Penny

Tomato Pie

Did you know September brings an abundance of green tomatoes to gardens? And did you know that green tomatoes make a fabulous pie? I didn't until Earl (my nieghbor) brought me a hugh bag of them and I couldn't waste them. Today we had "green tomato pie" for breakfast. Along with a small omelet and locally made sausage the plates were cleaned! I don't think I can serve Chocolate Cake for breakfast but to use a few more green tomatoes I will make a "green tomato chocolate cake" to serve with afternoon tea. You may have missed out for this year but come on by next fall for this special treat!! The recipe for the Pie is really very simple. After Sauteing the tomatoes in butter and lemon juice I added the flour, sugar and cinnamon like it was an apple pie-it tasted a lot like an apple pie.