This is the time of year that we are always looking for inspiration to tempt our palates. The holidays are over and summer’s bounty of fresh veggies is a long way off. So on these long winter days and nights, we peruse our library of cookbooks for ideas that will stave off the ennui of dinner doldrums. Lately we’ve been experimenting with the slow cooker and found two great recipes. The first was for BBQ Beef Brisket, which turned out to be our new favorite way of cooking that particularly flavorful, but tough cut of meat. Last night we tried Crockpot Barbeque Chicken (notice a trend here?) and we were rewarded with a moist, smokey, and very satisfying meal. This morning, however, with the Superbowl fast approaching and Valentine’s Day not far off, I dug out two of my favorite, and decidedly indulgent, recipes.

The first is for Curried Chicken Balls, shared by a fellow innkeeper up north where Rich and I owned our first bed and breakfast inn. Originally published in “Southern Sideboards” by the Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi, the recipe may have been tweaked a bit over the years, but the results are always a crowd pleaser.

The second is an all-time favorite that we serve as dessert for friends and family at holiday gatherings. Affectionately called Fantasy Fondue, this delicious chocolate fondue is the perfect accompaniment to fresh fruit and buttery pound cake. For Valentine’s Day, we use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the pound cake into small, bite-size pieces and serve the fondue with fresh strawberries and bananas. For an even more festive event, serve with champagne.

Curried Chicken Balls

Yield: 3 dozen balls

Ingredients:

• ¼ lb. cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
• 1 cup chopped chicken
• 1 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 Tbs. chopped chutney
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
• ½ cup grated coconut

Directions:

Mash cream cheese. Add mayonnaise, chicken, curry, chutney, slat, and almonds. Mix well and roll into walnut size balls. Roll in coconut. Chill. May be prepared a day in advance; freezes well.

Fantasy Fondue

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup half-and-half
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• ½ teaspoon rum extract

Directions:

Stir half-and-half and sugar in a medium-size saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate; stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in extract. Makes 2 cups. Will keep up to 1 month in a tightly covered glass jar. To reheat, remove lid and place jar in a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until warm.

To serve:

Prepare chocolate fondue and pour into fondue pot, keeping the pot warm with sterno. Cut up fruit and pound cake into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a glass plate next to the fondue pot. Provide guests with dessert plates and fondue forks, allowing them to select fruit and cake to dip into the fondue using the forks provided.

Let us know if you try either of these recipes, and feel free to share your favorite “go to” recipes with us.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone and Go Pats!

This year February has 29 days rather than the usual 28 because 2012 is a leap year. Every year divisible by four is a leap year (except those years divisible by 100, which are not leap years unless they are also divisible by 400, when they are again leap years. Confused? Read on.)

The purpose of a leap year is to keep the calendar year in sync with the astronomical year. You see it actually takes the earth 365 ¼ days to revolve around its sun. When the Romans realized this they implemented the first leap year in 46 B.C. Had they not, the calendar would be out of sync 28 days in every 100 years. That could mean that summer would eventually meld into fall and then winter and pretty soon we’d be shoveling snow in July rather than January.

However, adding ¼ day every four years is actually more than required for balance. Thus the need for the qualifier of being divisible by 400. At any rate, leap years being relatively rare deserve some special attention, and leap day itself is an opportunity to break all the rules. Rare = unique and breaking rules means non-conforming. Hence the uniquely original and non-conforming High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod has mandated that every day in February will be devoted to lovers, not just the predictable Valentine’s Day.

Check your Gregorian calendar for the best days for you and your honey to pack up the love train and head on down to Cape Cod for a romantic getaway at our beautiful inn by the sea. Book our “February is for Lovers” package and we’ll make sure all the essentials are in place for an unforgettable weekend (or weekday) of romance. The package includes:

• Two nights in a spacious ocean-view room or fireplace suite.
• Bottle of chilled champagne and chocolates in your room on arrival.
• One-hour side-by-side in-room couples massage.
• A 3-course gourmet dinner for two one night.
• Breakfast by candlelight each morning.
• Afternoon sweet treats.
• Complimentary after dinner drinks at the Inn.

Rates range from $675 to $799 complete. Call today for best availability. 888-362-4441.

Once again February has rolled around, and with it a number of great events to distract us from the onslaught of snow, sleet, and cold. Old Man Winter has certainly wreaked havoc elsewhere in the state, but on Cape Cod we have been spared the brunt of countless storms that buried the rest of Massachusetts in a blanket of white.

Nonetheless, we are cognizant of the fact that winter wears you down. So to turn up the heat and rev up the romance we’ve introduced the “February is for Lovers” package at our bed and breakfast inn on Cape Cod. Why restrict romance to just one night when you can celebrate all month?! Choose a night or two that fits your schedule and we’ll provide you with everything you need to create a romantic interlude for two: champagne and chocolates, a gourmet dinner for two, plus an optional in-room side-by-side couples massage to set the mood.

If chocolate does it for you and your loved one, don’t forget the Sixth Annual Chocolate Fest taking place in Osterville on February 5th. A true chocoholic love fest, the event includes a dessert contest, pet parade, and decadent treats offered at local businesses throughout the day.

Later this month you can take in the Fifth Annual Boatbuilders Show in Hyannis. Some of the finest dealers in the world will be on hand February 12 and 13 at the Resort and Conference Center. What better way to fast-forward to spring than simply “messing about in boats”?

That same weekend the Cape Symphony Orchestra will feature vocalists Sarah Uriarte Berry, Rosenal Hill, and Edward Watts in a tribute to Broadway musicals entitled “Today’s Broadway: Great Moments from Blockbuster Musicals”. Choose from performances held Saturday, February 12 at 8:00 PM or Sunday, February 13 at 3:00 PM and tap your toes to some of the classic tunes from Chicago, Mamma Mia, and Hair.

Finally, February 19th and 20th will bring dozens of regional antique dealers together to showcase classic furniture, glassware, and china at the Presidents Day Antique Show and Sale being held at Barnstable High School. Perhaps you’ll find a treasure or two that will warm the heart of your honey.

No matter how you celebrate your valentine this month, remember spring is right around the corner and, as for winter, this too shall pass.

As innkeepers on Cape Cod, my husband and I use the slower winter months to tackle the ever-growing list of improvement projects we hope will keep the Inn fresh and well-maintained for our guests. Touch-up painting is always on the list and is perhaps my least favorite chore, as is organizing closets. But this year we are tackling the final guestroom bath update to erase the 1990s era look of the previous owners and fine-tune the sleek and contemporary look we have achieved in the rest of the Inn.

The designated bathroom remodel is for our premium fireplace room that we affectionately call the Sand Dollar room. Located on the main floor, Sand Dollar features a queen canopy bed, wood-burning fireplace, soaring cathedral ceiling, ample walk-in closet, and French doors to the deck overlooking the courtyard and fountain. It is a particularly popular room in the fall and winter months because of the fireplace, but also a big hit in the warmer months when our guests like to lounge in the old-fashioned steamer chairs on the deck with a great cup of coffee or afternoon cocktail in hand and enjoy the view.

Rich has completed the demolition, applied for all the requisite building permits, and coordinated with the plumber, granite installer, and our fabulous tiler to ensure that installation will go according to plan. My task was to remove the two layers of wallpaper border and pick out the hardware, lighting, and decorative items that will complete the look of the new bath. I’ll probably help with painting the bathroom once the installation is complete, as somehow I have attained the status of “expert trim painter” in my years of a do-it-yourself innkeeper.

At any rate we are about mid-way through the remodeling process and my eagerness to complete the project is all-consuming. We hope to have the bathroom ready for the all-important Valentine’s Day weekend, as Sand Dollar is always in demand for its romantic ambiance, especially for Valentine’s Day.

This year we are once again offering our “February is for Lovers” package for Valentine’s Day weekend, and throughout the month of February. Why not sweep her off her feet with this romantic two-night getaway? Start your day with breakfast by candlelight. Later you can enjoy a bottle of chilled champagne and chocolates in your room, or opt for a side-by-side in-room couples massage. Then top the weekend off with a 3-course gourmet dinner for two at one of Cape Cod‘s most romantic restaurants. We‘ve done all the planning for you. Just call and ask for the “February is for Lovers“ package.

Who knows? Perhaps you‘ll be the first couple to try the new Sand Dollar room bathroom.

Several winters ago, Rich and I went out for dinner on a particularly frigid evening in early February. It was nearing the end of our annual six week hiatus from innkeeping, when we close the Inn for spring cleaning, repairs, and some down time to keep us fresh for the upcoming season. In the mood to have someone else cook and serve us dinner, we went to the Barnstable Tavern, a cozy place in Barnstable Village, where we like to tease our favorite waitress and enjoy a little “couple” time.

Sitting across from us were two elderly ladies engrossed in conversation and seemingly oblivious to my furtive glances. I don’t know why, but I took pleasure in seeing them enjoying their food and delighting in each other’s company. Perhaps I was nostalgic for my own mother, or imagining myself at their age and hoping that I would have such pleasurable company with which to while away a winter’s evening. Whatever it was, I simply could not stop studying them. (more…)