Posts Tagged ‘Boothbay Harbor Bed and Breakfast’

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WHITE CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS

March 6th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley

The crust is made from crushed Oreo cookies

(Makes 9 servings, 2 bars each)

 

Ingredients:

12 Oreo cookies, finely crushed*

2 TBS butter, melted

3 squares Baker’s White Chocolate, divided

2 pkg (8oz each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened*

½ cup sugar

1 TSP vanilla

2 eggs*

¼ cup red raspberry preserves (preferably seedless)

Directions:

1)    Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2)    Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan.

3)    Melt chocolate squares as directed on package.

4)    Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended.  Add melted chocolate; mix well; Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.  Pour over crust.

5)    Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool 5 minutes; spread with preserves.

6)    Melt remaining square of chocolate; drizzle over cheesecake.

7)    Cool cheesecake.  Refrigerate 4 hours.  Cut into 18 bars.

 

*To save calories and lower the grams of fat and cholesterol per serving, prepare recipe with Reduced Fat Oreos, Philadelphia Neufchatel Cheese and egg whites.

 

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HODGDON ISLAND INN, BOOTHBAY BED AND BREAKFAST INNKEEPERS CELEBRATE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF AN AMERICAN FAVORITE!

March 6th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley

HII Innkeepers,Richard & Pamela, prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Oroe cookie

Tuesday, March 6,2012 is a very important day.  Why you ask?  Well, it could be because it is only 14 days away from the first day of spring; or it could be because it is just 11 days away from the much beloved St. Paddy’s Day; and it could be because it is just 9 days away from the infamous “Ides of March”, but no, none of the above applies.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Oreo cookie! (Oreo is a trademark for a popular cookie sandwich by the Nabisco Division of Kraft Foods. The current design consists of a sweet, white filling commonly referred to as ‘cream’, sandwiched between two circular chocolate or golden cookie pieces.)

 Personally I think it calls for a celebration.  Why you ask? I’m glad you asked!  Because when you stop and think about it, very few things have been around for the length of this duration for most of us alive today (there are very few folks alive over the age of 100, right?). 100 years is a milestone in any shape or form.  Now I know that the Oreo cookie has not been immune to its metamorphoses, but the overriding fact is that over 491 billion of these cookies have been sold since they were first introduced, making them the “best selling cookie of the 20th century”.  Its two deliciously crunchy outer chocolate wafers are still here to be screwed apart along with the delicate and rich creamy white inside to be licked clean before, during or after enjoying a cold glass of milk (or the beverage of one’s choice)!

 On Tuesday, March 6th, at Hodgdon Island Inn you will find Richard and me conducting our own “Oreo Anniversary Party”.  We are looking forward to having an excuse to stuff ourselves with one of our very favorite store-bought cookies.  Richard likes to demolish two Oreos at one time by unscrewing the chocolate tops off the cookies and smushing the two white centers together (still attached to the other remaining chocolate wafers) – you know, kind of like his own version of the “Double Stuffed” – before munching on the remaining chocolate wafers.  Too much work for me – I want that instant Oreo gratification!  I dunk the entire cookie into my cup of hot tea (complete with milk and sugar) and then quickly pop it into my mouth so as to savor the fudgy cream mixture of melted Oreo.  Yum!  Of course, I also keep a spoon handy because I have occasionally been known to fail in not moving ye olde dunked cookie fast enough from cup to mouth and have experienced the old kerplop of melting cookie into tea.  Not pretty, but I digress …

Hmmm …  I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking I’m not going to make it to Tuesday.  I want my Oreos right now!

P. S.  If you have a favorite way to eat Oreos, please share.  And don’t forget to check out our website for one of my favorite dessert recipes using what else?!  Oreos.

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HODGDON ISLAND INN BED AND BREAKFAST INNKEEPER, PAMELA BYRNE RILEY, ELECTED TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT, BOOTHBAY HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

February 28th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley

Landmark footbridge, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

On Monday, February 20th the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce (BBHRCC) welcomed its new Board of Directors. The Board will guide the long term strategic direction of the Chamber in the areas of membership, community and visitor relations, public policy, marketing, and revenue generation with the goal of fulfilling the BBHRCC’s mission: to promote a positive business climate by focusing on advocacy, access and leadership.

From its humble beginnings in 1962, the BBHRCC has grown into a first-rate multi-service membership organization that currently serves over 330 members in the communities of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, East Boothbay, Edgecomb, Monhegan, Newcastle, Southport, Westport and Wiscasset.  Its programs are a continuum of services that address the needs of all business in the region whether they are open year round or are just seasonal operations.  The BBHRCC also partners with other area nonprofits; local, state and regional government entities as well as mainstream institutions and tourism councils.  Its advocacy efforts include community planning and infrastructure; economic development; healthcare and education; marketing and visitor relations; and other issues pertinent to a future of greater social and economic equity, in support of a better quality of life for all in the region.

Hodgdon Island Inn Owner, Pamela Byrne Riley, will serve as President of the Board; Vice-President is Doug Roberts (Owner, Oak Street Provisions), Secretary is Evelyn Andrews (Associate Relations Manager, Hannaford), and Treasurer is Sue Wood (Professional Volunteer, Barter’s Island).

 

Pamela Riley, Lorna Weber, Jim Chaousis, Dorothy Freeman,Tim O'Donnell, Evelyn Andrews, Peter Robison, Sheri Gordon,Doug Roberts and Catherine Wygant. Not pictured: Susan Wood andEileen King.

 

Other members include Jim Chaousis (Town Manager, Boothbay), Dorothy Freeman, PhD (Director of Philanthropy, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens), Sheri Gordon (Owner, Midcoast Clock Sales), Eileen King (Superintendent of Schools), Timothy O’Donnell (O’Donnell, Lee, McCowan & Phillips, LLC), Peter Robison (Senior Sales Rep for On Premise Sales, Central Distributors), and Lorna Weber (Branch Manager/AVP, The First, N.A.)

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce (http://www.boothbayharbor.com) along with its signature event, Windjammer Days, will be celebrating their big Five-O anniversaries this year!  Preparations are under way now to ensure that this community-wide signature event, scheduled for Tuesday June 26 & Wednesday June 27th of 2012, will reflect the quality and unique character that is associated with Boothbay Harbor and its maritime history.  All friends of the Boothbay Region are invited to attend this incredible 50th anniversary celebration.  Be sure to check the Chamber’s website along with your favorite Boothbay Region businesses for upcoming WJD specials.

Catherine Wygant serves as Chamber Executive Director.

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BOOTHBAY’S HODGDON ISLAND INN BED & BREAKFAST OFFERS “SHORTCUT PIE RECIPE” TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL PIE DAY JANUARY 23rd

January 21st, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley

I don’t know about you, but winter is one of my favorite seasons for cooking and baking pies.  Pies of all sorts:  sweet pies and tarts, savory pies and tarts, quiches, hand-held turnovers or pasties, vol-au-vents, pissaladiere, pithivier, tourtiere, cobblers and crumbles – with crusts of every kind, shape and texture.

There is something very soothing about assembling a pie.  Deciding though as to what kind to make is quite another story.  Should it be homemade or ready-made?  Do we want a galette, a bundle, a tartlet, a strudel, a triangle? Should we make it deep-dish, free-form or crustless?  Low fat?  Is it filo or Phyllo? And is Shepherd’s Pie really a pie?

If we go the savory route, there is always the traditional use of pastry to top off a delicious smooth and creamy chicken pot pie chuck full of winter friendly root vegetables as is the mouth-wateringly tempting wrapping of Brie and a medley of mushrooms in sheets of buttery Phyllo.  If we go the sweet route, there is always the ever-popular Lemon Meringue pie, cherry strudel, or Baklava even.

Celebrate National Pie Day with No-Peel Apple Pie; old-fashioned, but easier!

I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking let’s keep this simple.  Good old-fashioned apple pie will do it any day of the year – and my motto is the easier the better!  So, here is a recipe for a “No-Peel Apple Pie” that I discovered about 20 years ago in a holiday insert of Better Homes & Gardens.  When you make No-Peel Apple Pie, you can skip the apple-peeling step.  Select apple varieties with tender skins like Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Jonathan and use a ready-made piecrust and voila! Old-fashioned, but easier apple pie!

 

INGREDIENTS:

 1- 15-ounce package folded refrigerated unbaked piecrust (2 crusts)

6 large apples

½ cup water

2 TBS lemon juice

½ cup sugar

2 TBS all-purpose flour

1½ TSP apple pie spice

Whipping cream or milk

Coarse and/or granulated sugar

Whipped cream (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS:

_ Let piecrusts stand at room temperature according to package directions.

Meanwhile, core and slice unpeeled apples (you should have about 8 cups).

Combine apples with water and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl; toss to coat.

 

_ For filling, stir together ½ cup sugar, flour, and spice in a large mixing bowl.

Drain apples well; add to sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.  Set aside.

 

_ Unfold one piecrust. Place on lightly floured surface.  Unfold the second crust and place on top of the first.  Roll the two crusts together from center to edge into a 14-inch circle.  Ease the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate, letting crust hang over the edge.

 

_ Spoon apple filling into the pastry-lined pie plate.  Fold the pastry up and over the filling, pleating the pastry to fit.  Brush crust with whipping cream or milk.  Sprinkle the pie with coarse and/or granulated sugar.  Cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent overbrowning.

 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake about 30 minutes more or till crust is golden.  Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.  Serve pie while warm with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

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A recipe from Pamela Byrne Riley,Innkeeper, Hodgdon Island Inn, Boothbay, Maine Bed & Breakfast

July 8th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Boothbay Bed & Breakfast, Hodgdon Island Inn

FRUITY BAKED OATMEAL

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk (I use Skim)

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup of sliced peaches,
raspberries and blueberries combined

A Hodgdon Island Inn Breakfast Favorite - Fruity Baked Oatmeal

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350
degrees.

In a large bowl, combine
the oatmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a blender mix the
milk, eggs and butter.

Add the liquid
ingredients to the oatmeal mix and stir well.

Stir in the fruit.

Pour into a greased  9 inch pan, coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake uncovered for
approximately 35 -40 minutes, or until top lightly brown.

Cut into squares and top
with a dollop of low fat vanilla yogurt or pour on milk of choice.

Can be served hot, warm
or at room temperature.

Yields 6-9 servings.

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B&B BOOTHBAY HODGDON ISLAND INN WELCOMES SPRING!

May 14th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Hodgdon Island Inn Welcomes Spring!

Spring has come to Boothbay!

Spring is happening at Hodgdon Island Inn!

We have: tulips and tea at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; tulips lining driveways; daffodils poking up on the roadside along Route 1; beautiful purple azaleas are towering over the fountain in the center of the inn’s circular driveway; forsythia bursting out on what used to be hen hill at the old Hodgdon farmstead and on the outer edges of the pool; and bumble bees are heard to be happily humming.

This year's dandelion crop

This year’s dandelion crop is making a real
show of spring yellow on the spring green grass!

The gentle rumbling of lawn mowers can be
heard from Barter’s Island to Hodgdon Island to Boothbay and from Boothbay to Boothbay Harbor.

Windows are being washed; porches and wicker
furniture are being hosed down; it’s time to call the “pool guy”.

Front porch gets gussied up!

Route 27 and Barter’s Island Road are being
blacktopped – good-bye potholes.

Restaurants and shops are opening; awnings and
umbrella tables are going up; “closed for season” signs are coming down.

The air is changing.

Spring is happening at Hodgdon Island Inn!

Spring has come to Boothbay!

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FOGGY DAYS COME TO COASTAL MAINE B&B INN

May 14th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Today at Hodgdon Island Inn, a coastal Maine Bed & Breakfast near Boothbay Harbor, we are under the umbrella of a beautiful soft, delicious and ultra-quiet fog as a result of a tug-a-war between the old cold air and the new warm spring air.  It’s heavenly and I just had to share one of my favorite poems with you …
FOG
The fog comes

on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
by Carl Sandburg

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March Madness Prevails at Boothbay Harbor Region Bed and Breakfast

March 14th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Our westward view over the Sheepscott

All those sayings that we are all too familiar with regards happenings in March just happen to be swirling around in my head today.  You know, sayings like:  “Beware of the Ides of March” or “March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb” or “When Irish Eyes are smiling – they’ll steal your heart away” – you know those sayings.  It all started this morning as I sat at my desk in the Owner’s Quarters here at Hodgdon Island Inn  looking out of the window.  The window showcases our westward view over the Sheepscott and it appears that our snow fortress is weakening. 

Our snow fortress is weakening!

 The walls of snow are melting away before my eyes.  I am reminded of that infamous “I’m melting “ scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy douses the Wicked Witch of the West with the bucket of water – only here on our tiny island in Boothbay, Maine, Mother Nature is doing the dousing and our once wicked white world is turning into a pool of spring greens and browns!

OMG!  March is a very busy month in the State of Maine! Kicking off the month  there was the annual yum-yum fest known as Maine Restaurant Week, March 1-12th, where one can get scrumptious three-course meals at a set price; then we had the 2011 Flower Show in Portland this past weekend, March 10-13th, titled “The Enchanted Earth”. The show is a collaboration of green industry landscapers, growers, gardeners and industry retailers dedicated to the continued success of everything about “Gardening in Maine”.

Beware of the Tides of March!

Higher tides than ususal predicted this weekend

Next up is the Ides of March (March 15th), but the TIDES OF MARCH is much more appropriate.  Why you ask? Because at every full moon, when the earth and the sun and the moon are lined up in space, the gravity of the sun and moon reinforce each other and the earth’s tides become particularly high.  It is predicted that the tides will be higher than usual, especially on Saturday hence the “Beware of the Tides of March”.

 Now we’re counting down to St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th.  For many it is a day of partying, parades, eating corned beef and cabbage and drinking green beer  (Sarah’s Cafe, fun restaurant on Route 1 in Wiscasset). For others it is a day of prayer and contemplation. For me it is a day filled with many memories, lots of love, much laughter, a few tears, good Irish music and an Irish jig or two.   I may have mentioned that I am first generation American-born of Irish ancestry, but I don’t know if I mentioned that I am also an Irish step dancer.  My mother, Sheila, was born in a town on the coast outside Dublin, Ireland not too dissimilar from Boothbay Harbor. 

Currant soda bread is cut in wedges to serve;whole wheat soda bread is featured.

But most importantly of all:  one must eat Soda Bread on this great day!  Now I could write an entire blog on Irish Soda Bread because there are as many different recipes for it as there are shades of green on the Emerald Isle, but we stick to the Byrne Family recipe which has been handed down for many generations.  I have shared this family heirloom with you in the recipe section of our blog I hope you enjoy it!

And the last of this month’s fun activities here in the Pine Tree State is Maine Maple Sunday set for March 27th .  Most sugarhouses offer free maple syrup samples and demonstrations on how pure Maine maple syrup is made. Many farms offer games, activities, treats, sugar bush tours, music, and so much more. 

March isn’t the only month with lots of things to do and see here in Maine .  Come and see for yourself.  And as always, if you need a place to stay, we’ll be here on our tiny island and as is customary in Ireland, Richard and I will  bid you “cead mile failte” {Cade (rhyming with “wade”) meala fault cha. Fáilte is said quickly} – a hundred, thousand welcomes!

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Visit Maine Special

May 26th, 2010 by richard-pamela-riley

 MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE  -  BOOK NOW AND SAVE 10%

Rocky coastlines, lobster boats, lighthouses, starry nights, pink sunsets, good food, good company … everything you dreamed of experiencing in Maine!

Stay two nights or more at Boothbay’s Hodgdon Island Inn in your choice of our comfortable and casually-contemporary appointed Room Numbers 2,5, 7 or 8, all with water views,  and we’ll give you 10% off your entire reservation.

Special includes a full gourmet breakfast each morning, a fresh homemade dessert each evening, complimentary hot beverages and bottled water throughout the day and lots of personalized service.

Exclusions:  Offer does not apply for one-night stays and is good only on stays from June 14 – October 13, 2013.  Cannot be used with other specials or discounts and is based on double occupancy and availability. 7% Maine state lodging tax is extra. Please mention this special at the time of booking or put in the “Comments Section” when making an on-line reservation . Rates subject to change.

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