3 Ways to Rejuvenate Yourself in the Fall

Fall is the "apple of my eye"!

I love October. The air is crisp in the mornings which is great for clearing your head during a brisk walk and in the evenings, lending great times for a fire in the fire pit on the patio. The colors are earthy, like the pink and orange sunsets and the beautiful yellow and amber colored leaves on the trees and on the chrysanthemums in the yards of the neighbors who seem extra likely to offer a good day to you. The fruits from the orchards turn into warm, cozy spiced deliciousness straight from the oven. Here are three ways we enjoy this time of the year.

Find an Apple Festival

At Shoaff’s Mill, in Little Buffalo State Park, on the third weekend in October, there is the Old Fashioned Apple Festival. A fully functioning mill where you can see how corn is ground and made into cracked corn and cornmeal (I asked where the grits were; being from the south that was a very important question). Apples are made into apple butter right in front of your eyes in large copper pots stirred by people who have obviously done this before and pressed into cider by the century old water powered press. Enjoy live music and activities for the whole family on your walk over to the lake.

Take a stroll around Children’s Lake

This seven acre lake is home to ducks and swans, our wonderful native brown trout and sits right beside a part of the Appalachian Trail. With benches and many trees, it is a great place to walk or just sit and enjoy the quaint houses and feed the ducks. With activities like birding, boating, fishing and hiking, we always come away from this lake feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Pick a restaurant and enjoy a seasonal special

Over 2 dozen restaurants abound within walking distance of the front door. Mouthwatering smells will lead you to the doors of these places of culinary delight. Many farm to table options bring the plethora of winter squash and apple dishes from your fork to your mouth fresh from farms within 10 miles of the town. Any door you choose will leave you pleasantly satiated. That is why it is very hard for us to pick a favorite. A short walk through a charming historical town will bring you back to our door.

Carlisle House Bed and Breakfast will be your home for the night or weekend. Our luxurious sheets and gourmet breakfast will send you home ready to tackle your holiday season.

Come visit us soon……

Celebrate the beginning of Fall in Pennsylvania by coming to Harvest of the Arts Festival, Carlisle's Premiere Juried Arts and Crafts Show!

Harvest of the Arts Festival

Harvest of the Arts Festival is just around the corner! Every year for 35, Carlisle strives to bring in the best from local artists and craftsmen. Come and see over 100 local artisans such as metalledwith, eat great food, and visit our Farmers on the Square market. A whole street with games and hands-on activities are sure to delight kids of any age.

The Meeting of the Marques Festival is adjacent to and coincides with Harvest of the Arts and provides entertainment for those with an eye for Artistry on Wheels.  The British motorcycles are back this year by popular demand.

There is something for the whole family to enjoy!

Stay here at Carlisle House Bed & Breakfast to be walking distance to the festivities and for a place to rest when you have shopped till you drop.

Kentucky Derby Treat - Recipe of the Week

RECIPE OF THE WEEK     DERBY PIE

It is Kentucky Derby week and what better recipe than Derby Pie, first created and served in 1950 by the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. Although the original recipe is a big secret, this is a delicious version with Jim Beam bourbon, first distilled in the Bluegrass hills of Kentucky in 1788 by Jacob Boehm of Germany! 

Oven to 375
1 deep dish 9” unbaked pie crust
1 stick butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup light Karo
¼ t salt
1 1/3 t vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (I use pecans)
3 T (or more) of Jim Beam

I use the Food Processor

Beat butter and sugar.
Add eggs, Karo, salt and vanilla.
Stir in chips, nuts and bourbon.
Pour into crust and bake 55+ minutes until set.
It hardens as it cools.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Buttermilk Spice Cake

Whether for breakfast or dessert, the spices in this flavorful easy treat make it delicious anytime. 





2 cups flour
2 cups sugar 
2 t cinnamon (I use 1 ¼ t cinnamon, ½ allspice and ¼ ground cloves)
1 stick butter
Pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk
1 egg - beaten
1 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350
PAM a 9”x 13” pan or 2 8” round pans
Mix first five dry ingredients with pastry blender until the butter is the size of small peas. Reserve about ¾ cup for topping.
Mix milk, egg and soda.
Pour into remaining flour mixture and blend (by hand is fine) until mixed.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Sprinkle reserved topping evenly over batter.
Bake 45 minutes.

St Patrick's Day at the Carlisle House

RECIPE OF THE WEEK
We hope that you enjoyed your St Patty's Day!  Our guests sure did with our very Irish Quiche! Corned Beef cooked in Guinness and Colcannon with Kerrygold Cheese!
1 unbaked 9" pie crust shaped in deep quiche dish or pie pan
• ¾ cup shredded potato (frozen is fine)
• ¼ chopped fresh baby kale
• 4 oz corned beef (from a brisket cooked whole in Guinness & water as per package) chopped into pieces about ¼" to ½"
• 1 cup grated sharp Dubliner or KerryGold cheese
• 1 ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cup heavy cream or Half and Half or mixture of the two
• 4 -5 large eggs - beaten
• 1 heaping teaspoon of whole grain mustard
• Dash of garlic powder
• ⅛ t fresh ground pepper
• ⅛ t salt

Beat cream, eggs, whole grain mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and salt together with whisk. Store overnight in refrigerator if possible to let flavors develop.
Preheat oven to 400F
Sprinkle about half of the mozzarella into pie crust.
Spread corned beef, potato and kale over cheese
Sprinkle Irish cheese and then mozzarella over mixture in pie crust
Pour cream and egg mixture over cheese and corned beef mixture in pie crust slowly so all liquid is absorbed.
Make small shamrock with kale leaves for garnish
Bake for about 35-40 minutes until quiche is puffy and golden and center is solid and does not seem liquid when moved.
Allow to cool at least 15-20 minutes before cutting.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Recipe
• 2 tablespoons EV olive oil
• 2T chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper (we love lots of coarse pepper)
• 1 pound (450g) tomatoes, (8 small or 4 medium-sized)

I always double or triple the recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC.)
2. Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish or pan.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half vertically, using Romas so no need to remove stem. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings, then lay them cut side down in the dish.
4. Bake for two hours, or until the tomatoes are completely softened and wilted, and start to wrinkle and caramelize. Depending on the tomatoes, they may take longer to cook.
 
Use or freeze in small containers covered with a bit more olive oil over the top.
Our favorite use is to rough chop and serve with soft cheese: Brie, Gorgonzola, Cheve, etc.  

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - March 28

Saturday

March 28

8pm

Shippensburg University

 Phone: 717-477-7469

Nearing their fifth decade together, the iconic and profoundly influential Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in Country Rock and American Roots Music,

continues to add to their legendary status. With multi-platinum and gold records, strings of top ten hits such as "Fishin' In The Dark" and "Mr. Bojangles", multiple GRAMMY, IBMA, CMA Awards and nominations, the band's accolades continue to accumulate.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Crispy Bacon Wrapped Bread Sticks

 
    Need a quick snack or hors d'oeuvre? Or great for dipping into eggs at breakfast! You probably have everything but maybe the sesame sticks. Can't go wrong with bacon and cheese! 


1 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons garlic salt or powder
12 slices good smokey bacon (not thick-cut)
24 (4 1/2-inch) long sesame breadsticks (1 package)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Combine the Parmesan with garlic salt and set aside.
Cut the bacon slices in half so they are approximately 5-inches long. Wrap each bread stick with 1 slice of bacon, starting at one end and ending at the other.
Place wrapped bread sticks on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until bacon is browned.
Remove from oven and immediately roll bread sticks in cheese mixture.
Let cool and serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Fabulous Fly Fishing in the Cumberland Valley

Fifty Places to Fish Before You Die!  

 First a best selling book and now a World Fishing Network show.  And what was the premier episode?  Episode 1: LeTort Spring Run which passes just 2 blocks from our Carlisle House.  

Renowned PA fly-fishermen Ed Shenk

We have "fisher people" (as we have men AND women) who come for our trout rich streams from all over the world.  And just 15 minutes away is the Huntsdale Fish Hatchery, built in 1932 and noted as the largest in the nation. There you can tour and observe the life cycle of fish in the many concrete raceways before the fish are released into our state streams.  

We have a local guide, Tom Brtalik, who has an excellent fly-fishing service and will provide door-to-stream service with all the equipment!
 

Huntsdale Fish Hatchery

Come enjoy our beautiful valley and the abundantly fish-rich waterways!   

Click HERE for Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau information.