Category: Thoughts

The Season of Wonder and Winter Hygge

Freezing rain

Ice and snow

Bitter winds

Winter woe

But in the depths

The flowers grow.

~ Joyce Monachina ( my mom)

We have been in a cold snap here in the Berkshires. Today we are preparing for a Nor’easter. I am tucked in and cozy, with the heat turned up, candles going, soothing music in the background and a pot of soup on the stove. Tonight we will forgo the fireplace because the night-time temps are expected to be below zero… but that may not stop us if we need the extra hyggeligt to sooth our souls. I have new book, netflix, and the most comfortable bed, so that may just do it.

I have been thinking about ritual and tradition lately. Trying to mindful of living in the moment. I love the feeling of being in the flow of life. For me nature provides me an awe inspiring presence. Winter still being in the early stages, is truly magnificent, and the shadows, light and darkness combinations really do take my breath away.

Fresh pines are such a delightful Christmas tradition. The simplicity and absolutely gorgeous look are so comforting for the winter soul. It is really so amazing that this ancient ritual, and tradition of gathering pines for Christmas decor still manages to make our hearts sing year after year!

“How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!”
–Thomas Wentworth Higginson

When it comes to holiday decor, inside and outside, there was a time I was a bit over the top. Now I let nature and simplicity be my guide. I no longer like to compete with the magic of simplicity.

Simple traditions ~ nothing new about this little homemade potpourri, but it still manages to say wow!

A new twist for our traditional tree this year ~ a concolor fir. It has a citrus scent. I am very fond of this tiny tree, and may keep it up for a while.

My sister Kaye gave me this simple butternut squash trick. You pierce the whole squash a few times and then bake in a 375 degree oven for about an hour or so. And get this – if you forget about it, no worries it doesn’t matter. Then you just scoop it out and it is even better than roasted.

So far I have made butternut squash soup with some other unknown squash we got from the farmers market, and this butternut squash “mock frittata.” Such comfort food. My new tradition. Simplicity at it’s best.

Another new twist to “bites” this year has been charcuterie boards. My vegan version was a big hit on Christmas Eve, our holiday family party. I had a big board out in place of all other hor dourves. It was filled with delicious faux gourmet sausages, nut cheeses, olives, some roasted veggies and dips, bread and crackers. New Years Eve for my little party of four, I made it again – here is the mini version. One of my new traditions here. I am having a friend over tomorrow night, and in this winter wonderland storm, I thought I would serve another version of this board with soup. I had this amazing shiitake bacon on both boards and it was one of everyones favorites! Pop over to my facebook page for the recipe.

The absolute highlight of the Holiday Season was this beautiful girl coming home from California for eleven days! We just saw her in November, but that doesn’t even count, when it is your favorite person in the whole world! She was the greatest blessing for our broken hearts. The day before she arrived, we had to say goodbye to our little lover, Max. The greatest comfort for our heartache, and the greatest joy of the season ~ we will forever be grateful for the divine timing of her visit.

Here she is with our little Margot. The dynamic duo!

Below, our beloved Max, aka, our “little bubba.” Our grateful hearts are filled with amazing memories of this sweet little soul, who filled our home with humor, joy and LOVE. Here he is with a good cigar, and just as cute as he can be. Cheers to one of the greatest lovers ever!

August 2, ’02 ~ December 22, ’17

I feel about my dogs now, and all the dogs I had prior to this, the way I feel about children — they are that important to me. When I have lost a dog, I have gone into a mourning period that lasted for months. Mary Tyler Moore

Thank you for coming by my blog today. May your new year be filled with many blessings and lots of love.

#crabtreecottage #holidaydecor hyggeintheberkshires

Spring Hygee

and I think to myself, what a wonderful world…

I have been drinking a bit of turmeric tea lately. I make it a few different ways depending on my mood. One is called weight loss tea from The Earth Diet: 2-inch piece of ginger- diced, a dash of cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder & 1 lemon. In a saucepan bring 4 cups of water and all of the ingredients except the lemon to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Then squeeze in the lemon juice and sir. Pour into your favorite mug and head to a cozy nook to savor with your thoughts, or a good book. The one above is 1 C hemp milk (or any milk you like) 1/2 tsp of turmeric, ( I have been buying the turmeric root and grating ) 1 dash of cayenne, 1 tsp coconut butter, (this activates the properties of the turmeric) a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, a little knob of ginger grated, and a little maple syrup to taste. This one is more comforting and kind of filling. The perfect mood altering comfort one needs during this cold spring! It feels very cozy to sit with a mug of something warm and to purposely create a bit of hygee for yourself when it is dark and chilly. Turmeric is a cure all for all types of health issues, and once you get a taste for it it is very soothing and pleasant.

Create your own sunshine.

We did escape a little winter for a visit with our daughter Julia in California. She has been there for a year and 3 months now. Here she is at work at the Madison Gallery in La Jolla.

We love San Diego, I must say. I can see myself living there except for one thing… the highways. I really don’t like them one bit, but I really like everything else! Lucky for me, I have a driver!

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” ~ Emily Bronte

He takes me anywhere I want to go! We go for beautiful hikes, a daily trip to a farmers markets, exploring, shopping, and restaurants.

One chilly day we went to the Botanical Garden. Succulents really have won me over in a big way. I even have started a little collection of them in my own house. I read that plants are back in a big way now in home decor. I was a very limited inside plant person, but I must say the trend makes me very happy ~ especially the succulents.

I think that people in San Diego are mostly very healthy because of the amazing climate. Surrounded by flowers all year – such a moderate temperature, and honestly a farmers market every single day in one of the neighborhoods. It just makes your heart sing to pick out your fresh produce each and every day! – oh and the restaurants! The very best restaurants for my style of eating, in every neighborhood in the city. The best eating city and state we have ever been to!!

Leaving is hard. Even though we talk daily, it is the nuances of her sweetness, and her precious sense humor that are really best in person! I love seeing her adulting, I adore her personal style and her wit!

“The Little House was very happy as she sat on the hill and watched the countryside around her. She watched the sun rise in the morning and watched the sun set in the evening. Day followed day, each one a little different form the one before… but the Little House stayed just the same.” ~ Virginia Lee Burton, The Little House

Home at last to our almost Spring climate! I felt inspired ! Time to bring new life into my Berkshire Home! This succulent was my first purchase!

And the one thing that we didn’t expect was….

another snow storm. So we had to pull out all of our hygee stops! We had to savor the beauty and snuggle up! Cook good food and step into that zen place of winter! More fires, candlelight in the daytime, fresh flowers, and outdoor winter exercise!

We had to sunbath with snow still on the ground! (My dad with Max & Margot!)

Although our days are longer, it isn’t very spring like around here! The snow is gone, but today is dark and rainy. This was the perfect day to eat lunch – at The Starving Artist Cafe. It is a very hyggeligt thing to do! The food is always amazing and healthy, and the atmosphere is casual and welcoming. Today we each had a delicious black bean soup and a crepe.

“The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the dominance of outward conditions.” ~ Robert Lewis Stevenson

I spent the last month trying to re-create California food! We ate at so many wonderful vegan restaurants! Always packed, and filled with fun hipsters! Healthy hipsters! We ate at the Cafe Gratitude – five times! I had the same thing each time! Pad Thai with kelp noodles. I came home and went to town. I didn’t quite get their flavor, but I still loved it!

Life is a combination of magic and pasta. ~ Federico Fellini

Spiralized butternut squash pasta.

Zoodles!

Garbanzo Beans: 1 can rinsed garbanzo beans with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme ~ add to a hot pan and roast on top of the stove. Our new favorite!

My husband is also a rice man! He could eat it every day. We usually have leftover rice in the fridge. I have started to make a really good fried rice with whatever we have for leftovers.

And lastly, a Spring Soup! Artichoke and Lemon Soup! You can view the recipe over on my facebook page. It felt fresh and clean!

Thank you for coming by my blog today. I am in the process of spring cleaning (with home made cleaning products) and maybe another inside project if this weather doesn’t turn into spring soon! . I love the idea of Spring Hygee! My first thing to do this weekend is to plant the pansies and get on with it – regardless of the weather!

“More than anything, savoring is about gratitude. We often remind each other not to take things for granted. Gratitude is more than a simple “thank you” when you receive a gift. It is about keeping in mind that you live right now, allowing yourself to focus on the moment and appreciate the life you lead, to focus on all that you do have, not what you don’t. Clichés? Totally. ~Meik Wiking

#healthyfood hyggeintheberkshires Julia Keenan Designs recipes

Crabtree Cottage is now closed

We have very big news here at Crabtree Cottage. We are closing after nineteen years as a B&B. Although we do not know what the next adventure will be, we are excited about it. We have loved this little business with all of our heart and souls, and that is because we had such amazing customers. You have brought such joy and friendship to our B&B, and we truly are going to miss that beyond belief. We hesitated, we thought of creative ways to keep it going, but in the end we think the time to close has come. We are really looking forward to the freedom of zipping off to California to visit our daughter, summer weekends, and this new chapter at this time in our lives. Reinventing ourselves and perhaps a new career is really an adventure. Who knows someday we may return with a twist to this hospitality business that has brought us such great rewards.

Opening our doors to complete strangers and becoming friends has been really inspiring to us. We have looked forward to your repeat stays as we would our dearest friends. We can’t thank you enough for putting your trust in us year after year. Sharing and letting us share our lives with you has been such a great gift to us.

Visit my blog, http://crabtreecottage.com/a-new-adventure-at-crabtree-cottage/ ( which may also be reinvented at some point) to read more about closing our dearest, little treasure Crabtree Cottage!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Blessings to you all for a happy and healthy holiday season.

All of our love,

Janis & Jeff (Max and Margot too, of course!)

janis monachina

innkeeper@crabtreecottage.com

www.crabtreecottage.com

413-243-1780

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g41636-d226661-Reviews-Crabtree_Cottage-Lee_Massachusetts.html

#crabtreecottageb&B #crabtreecottagegarden berkshire activiites downtown lee ma

A New Adventure at Crabtree Cottage!

“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” – Meister Eckhart

We have just ended our nineteenth year as a B&B here at Crabtree Cottage and we are closing our doors and starting something new!

“I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on my way..” – Carl Sagan

For the past year we have started to look beyond the lives as innkeepers. Our daughter moved to California, we suddenly had more freedom, and we started to think that maybe something new might fit our new lifestyle. The thought of having a new adventure became exciting. Yet, truth be told, it isn’t quite so easy to give up something you have loved so much. I planned on closing my B&B after the fall foliage season and here it is. I have one more reservation on the books and we will officially be closed.

“Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good but you may gain something better.” -unknown

The past nineteen years as innkeepers have been a great venture for us in so many ways. When we began our little Crabtree Cottage we had just moved in and renovated this “fixer upper” the previous year. Our daughter was five years old and just about to enter kindergarten. We had this big house with 6 bedrooms, and an in-law apartment for the three of us. Humm, what should we do with it? My boss at the time said we should turn the house into a B&B, and at our little housewarming party a neighbor who owned a B&B said the house would make a great B&B. My current career was no longer fulfilling and most importantly we needed tuition for my daughter’s private school – signs and ideas for an adventure. Well, we took a leap into the unknown, and thought, what do we have to loose?

“Somehow everything will fall into place.”

So far this had been the best career decision of my life. I was able to create a lifestyle I loved. This endeavor has been an extension of all things Jeff and I love to do. All things home and garden make our hearts sing. Nesting is my middle name! Being able to be home with my daughter as a working mom was the greatest gift of all. I was able to participate in every bit of her life. Our family life was all about home, now in retrospect that is more than I ever dreamed of. “

Creating this little B&B truly was a joy. Setting the stage for my guests to find respite and beauty in our little abode filled us with great delight. The most unexpected part of this B&B has been the absolute love of our guests. I worried about what it would feel like to have “strangers” in my house. Little did I know that the personal relationships we have formed with our guests would be the hardest part of letting go. We have formed friendships and shared our lives with so many people. Some of our guests have been here since the beginning. We have had guests from every walk of life and from every continent enter our front door. The fulfillment and enjoyment of learning about this aspect of hospitality has changed us, and we are beyond grateful for everyone who taken a chance of staying at this B&B. To our dearest repeat guests, who have remained loyal to our B&B year after year, and made us feel like friends, we just can’t thank you enough.

So what is next you ask? – And so the adventure begins.

I just don’t know! We have turned our in-law apartment into a sweet haven for my parents. They have been living here for a month. We always knew we wanted to do this, but we had no idea how great it would be. The new improved apartment just sings comfort and style. We had a blast creating this little “suite paradiso” too. They are so happy to have this new adventure too. They love living downtown and having that easy, pared down lifestyle of simplifying your life. Also, they feel a great relief from all of the chores of owning a home.

With our daughter Julia in California we need the freedom to just hop on a plane and see that beautiful soul in person whenever the mood hits us. In the summer – ahhh dreams of summer! We can wake up in mornings and take a swim, hike our favorite trails, and sit on our deck with our paper and tea. Rather than squeezing in all of our favorite activities, and all that the Berkshires have to offer, we can anticipate this freedom and luxury of time as something completely new to us!

We have loved this B&B and our gratitude to you is endless. Thank you for being a part of this chapter in our lives.

Crabtree Cottage trivia:

Crabtree Cottage was named because of the three crab trees we planted in our front yard. I asked my neighbor Sandy if she had any ideas for a name, and that was her very first thought. She has always been a part of my brainstorming and idea process. She is my “what do you think about this person.” It never fails; she has some input into a new idea, or into my confidence to follow through.

I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of making breakfast for strangers. At first we offered a continental breakfast (my mother would make the muffins!) and I would next take on a full 3-4-course breakfast. My goal was to offer something new to my repeat customers. After 19 years that was no small feat. I basically did it! Sometimes the tweaks to a dish were small, but still no real repeat breakfasts were served without a twist! I immersed myself in the art of breakfast. It became a passion. Baked goods were repeated and every guest had popovers! Jeff was 100% behind the scenes as the Popover King and chief bottle washer! He perfected the art of the popover. Here is his number one secret that I taught him, ha-ha, put a cookie sheet under the popover pan, not only to keep the oven clean, but to help pop the popovers from the steam it creates!

Off- seasons I would sometimes feel guilty for not working hard enough. Not contributing enough, and Jeff was always there to remind me that what I was doing had enormous value to our lives. He would encourage me to relax and remind me how hard I did work, without days off, even though it didn’t always feel like work. He would remind me always that the benefit to Julia’s life was because of our B&B. How amazing is that? Here he was contributing just as much in my business as I was and even more, and never a complaint. Never a day off in summer season except for our summer vacation! The most supportive man award for sure!

I took Max & Margot to a doggie psychic once. Max shared that they had jobs and took them very seriously. Sounds crazy right? Well, every morning that we had guests, Max would go out and wait for our guest to arrive for breakfast. Then Margot followed suit. On the mornings that we felt our guests might not be dog friendly, and they had to stay in the kitchen, they pouted! They have been an iintrical part of our hospitality. Our guests have thoroughly enjoyed their love and company.

We were number one on trip advisor for B&B’s in Lee for about 3 years. For a couple of years before that we shared the number 1 & 2 spot with another small B&B. Imagine little Crabtree Cottage getting the number one slot with the most excellent reviews. Our little 3 room B&B compared with the biggies! I know all of the other B&B’s in town are truly just as wonderful, if not more, and I say this because I know the other innkeepers as my friends, and their love and hard work is just as special to their guests… but WE had the very best guests who took the time to write what they loved about us. We had less rooms, less traffic and we were number 1! This helped our business grow enormously and had a great impact on our bottom line ~ thank you soooo much!

We will still be up to our old tricks. Changing things around. We are in the process of moving rooms around as we speak. We just can’t help ourselves. My blog may remain, and the Crabtree Cottage B&B may re-invent itself in some way in the future.

Thank you for coming by my blog today. We are filled with fondness and gratitude. Blessings to you all.

Janis

“Hospitality is love in action. Hospitality is the flesh and muscle on bones of love. “ –Alexander Stauch

#janismonachina downtown lee ma home and garden Julia Keenan Designs keenanconstruction lee ma b&b lion's den

Crabtree Cottage & Living in the Berkshires!

How beautiful is it to do nothing, and then to rest afterward.

After a very busy spring, I think this quote sums up what the rest of our plan is for summer! With most gardening and house projects behind us for the season, it is time to enjoy all of the Berkshire splendor and beauty.

We kicked off summer with a bang! Our Julia was home from California for a week over the 4^th of July!

Julia is working at The Madison Gallery, in La Jolla, California. She is really loving it, and learning all of the inner workings of a top 500 Gallery. We are so happy for her, and even though we miss her, watching her thrive and navigate adulthood is wonderful. She is the joy of our lives! She made sure to be home on the 4th of July because it is a tradition!! Go James Taylor! Your #1 fan is 24 years old and traveled from California to see you at Tanglwood!

Our favorite Berkshire activity is picnicking on the Tanglewood lawn. We have been to Dolly Parton and James Taylor so far. Sometimes we splurge for a shed ticket, but making a picnic, relaxing on the lawn, and people watching under the stars tops the list! On Sunday afternoons we usually bring a bottle of wine and get a concession lunch after a busy weekend with guests. I must say the concession food is really pretty good. This picnic was simple and healthy. Just for Jeff & I having a romantic picnic listening to Dolly Parton!

Another place we love to picnic is Jacob’s Pillow. If we go to the Inside – Out series we bring a bottle of wine and a little picnic and relax before of after the show. They also have very nice concession sandwiches. It is a lovely campus with amazing beauty everywhere you look.

thomasortizdance_insideout_2012taylorcrichton_courtesyjacobspillowdance_016

For the past few years The Mount has been offering music on Friday and Saturday nights – early evening. We love to support this free venue by buying our wine and food there. This year Naumkeag is hosting music every Thursday evening offering food, wine, and beer too. It is a great way to visit the gardens, be outside and listen to local musicians. Those are relaxing outdoor activities that are unique, and a great way to experience the Berkshires Gardens.

Of course food is a top priority in this house for picnics, and of course breakfast. For our picnics sometimes we make this pasta dish. It is a staple in our house, and I usually have everything on hand to whip this together. I fill up mason jars with the pasta, for easy travel and serving. A fresh baguette and viola ~ a simple tasty picnic! Recipe: Chop of lots of fresh garlic, 1 lemon juice and rind, pine nuts, basil, basil and more basil, olives or capers, olive oil, and cherry tomatoes. Let this marinate as long as it takes to boil and cook the pasta, or if you really have your act together first thing in the morning. It always comes out good!

I served this Mexican Egg dish a couple of weeks ago for breakfast. Whenever I share this recipe with guests, it is with the confession that it is the easiest crust-less quiche dish ever. This makes a great breakfast, lunch or dinner too! Pop over to my facebook page for the recipe.

Everyone is talking about avocado toasts these days. It’s a food craze. Because of our vegetarian diets we have been living on avocado toasts and sandwiches for at least 20 years. We call them avocado delights. Sometimes in the summer we add tomatoes from the garden. Our daughter grew up on these, and introduced them to all of her friends. She makes a mean avocado delight ~ Julia style ~ in the summer with lettuce, arugula or basil from our garden. Sometimes they have made it to our Tanglewood picnics too. If you haven’t become hooked on these – you must try one.

We also love sweet potato toasts, tomato toasts, almond butter – banana – slivered almond toasts. The list is endless. We use Berkshire Mountain Bakery Bread. We like the San Francisco Bread the most for sandwiches. We also like the bagels from The Great Barrington Bagel Company. Julia REALLY misses their bagels! When she came home she ate them as much as she could!

When I saw this waffle idea online ~ I knew it would be a Crabtree hit! Maybe you will be the first to try our version of this!

We also have guests on special diets here at Crabtree. Here is a poached egg dish with sauteed vegetables I served to my paleo diet guests. This was topped with hollandaise sauce but it didn’t show up in the photo. I need a pro for this job, haha.

Summer is amazing in the Berkshires ~ we look forward to welcoming you to our cozy cottage. Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#crabtreecottagegarden #juliakeenandesigns #naumkeag #summerintheberkshires #themount tanglewoodpicnics#

Winter Hiking in the Berkshires

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. ~ Helen Keller

This new year started off with a major change in our lives. Our beautiful daughter, our one and only, moved to California! Any one of you with children who have moved away know the feeling. We have been through this before when she went to college, but this time instead of an hour away, she is 3,000 miles away. We have to pull out all of the stops to stay and to be happy about this big move. Within 3 weeks, she has set up her apartment, had friends visit, and started to look for a job. She is happy and excited about this new adventure and we are thrilled for her too.

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay. Dalai Lama

This little one, also known as ” little j “, is the light of our lives! She fills the house with excitement, drama and great entertainment! Having her around full time, since she graduated a year and a half ago, has been really enjoyable to say the least. She is a such dear soul who is fun to be around. Her humor, sweetness, and creativity always inspire us. And, boy do we miss her cooking! Oh, did I mention she is beautiful too?

Here she is the day she moved. Saying goodbye to her car, Thelma. Thelma is not just a car, she has a personality too. Leaving Thelma was not easy for Julia. This little power house, ” jalapy” took Julia through most of high school, college, and beyond ~ they had a bond! Poor Thelma found out Julia was moving, and switching to a new car named Fraiser. She decided the week before she moved that she could no longer go on without Julia’s love! She is on life support and hoping someone will adopt her, with all of her little quirks, and love her.

So what are us empty nesters to do? Keep busy, be extra healthy, and plan our next vacation to San Diego! That’s what we do!

One of the greatest things about living in the Berkshires is that nature is right outside our door, and the woods are only five minutes away! We need to be extra active this year, and this winter with the lack of snow, it has been great for hiking. I adore snow shoeing and we are pretty close to the smaller ski areas, so there is plenty to do when it snows too.

Nature is the art of God. ~ Thomas Browne

Hiking at The Tyringham Cobble about 6 miles away from Crabtree Cottage.

After our hikes we like to come home, make soup, and light a fire! For the recipe for this vegetable curry go to my facebook page. Easy, healthy, and very comforting.

Cuddling in front of the fire is magic after a vigorous hike!

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Hiking again at Laura’s TowersTrail. Because of the snow and ice you need your yaktracks for this. I wish we took pictures at the top of the trail. The lookout views are amazing.

The following pictures we taken hiking at October Mountain – a gorgeous woodland hike with streams. Max and Margot are thrilled with all of these weekend hikes. Watching them navigate across a stream, or decide whether or not to jump over or go under a log is fascinating. These little athletes need nature and freedom from the leash on a regular basis that is for sure.

Need a little lovin’? Get a dog or two!

Last weekend was the best hike of all! We went on a Full Moonlight Guided hike at Hilltop Orchards in Richmond. About a 15 minute drive from Crabtree Cottage. Although the orchard and trails had some snow, we were able to wear hiking boots. When there is deeper snow, they have a snowshoe hike. The sky was completely cloudy all day because of the big northeastern storm that hit NY, Baltimore, and DC, but we didn’t get any snow. Amazingly, the full moon showed itself for the entire hike. The hike ended with a bonfire, wine tasting, and entertainment inside the lodge. By the time we finished the bonfire, the moon was covered again by clouds. It was a quite a dramatic hike with the full moon guiding us. We will take this hike again – hopefully with snow shoes. It was a bit vigorous and fun. We had chit-chat, silent walking, and the setting of intentions that we released into the bonfire at the end. Then we tasted some of the wines in the wine tasting room, sat by the stone fireplace, roaring with warm flames, sipped on wine, and listened to a local musician. It was simple, magic, and perfect for our bodies, minds, and souls to be in the woods that night.

Besides hiking we have eaten out a lot too! We have some of our favorite restaurants right here in Lee. All within walking distance to Crabtree. Tonight we don’t really have anything to do, nothing we have to see at the movies, so we are going to The Lions Den, in Stockbridge. They have pub-fare and local entertainment. If we time it just right we might just get a seat in front of the fire.

And… I might just order my new favorite drink, inspired by my daughter Juliia; gin and tonic (although I get it with club soda, to avoid the extra sugar) with bitters. I had never been on a bitters kick before. Imagine, that little baby at the top of this blog knowing about this! One of these does the trick and it feels healing because of the bitters, haha!

And lastly, a new recipe. I started making apple cakes around Christmas time. It became Julia’s favorite breakfast treat, and also what she wanted for her birthday just before she moved. So in honor of our little j, without further adieu, the Crabtree Cottage Apple cake! Visit my facebook page. So far my guests have been loving this too!

Thank you for coming by my blog today. Part of my empty nest therapy is going to be some more home renovating. Not only to please us, but to please our guests too! Stay tuned. My new theme includes more black paint!

#hikingintheberkshires #juliakeenadesigns #lionsden #winterhygee janismonachinadesigns

Winter Romance & Chocolate All Month Long!

Take time to NOTICE the things that other people are OVERLOOKING ~ the slowdown challange
The Berkshire winter landscape is magnificent even on a cold and frigid day. It is always a good idea to fight that inner voice that wants to stay in by a warm fire, a good book, or a great movie. Instead we must bundle up, and get moving! Once we are out there we are always inspired and invigorated!

My sister and I usually walk the same walk every week, during every season. We are often chatting away, when all of the sudden, one of us notices something we have never seen before. We wonder how we could have missed an incredibly unique view, a detail on a house we always see, or some other wonder of nature. These little winter wetlands and puddles made us stop and take notice. Had we ever seen anything like this before, or had we missed this miraculous scene of nature completely?

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive you will see it. – Thich Naht Hanh

Right now the skiing conditions are fantastic after our recent snowstorm this week. One place many of my guests love is Canterbury Farms They have ice-skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing including rentals. They are located in Becket – just 20 minutes away.

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. – Tich Naht Hanh

I love to snow shoe right up the street at the Greenock Country Club, just 2 minutes away!

We have a few new cookbooks here at Crabtree Cottage. Lately my daughter has been obsessed with pancakes from her favorite cookbook, Chloe’s Vegan Desserts. During her birthday week I made these everyday for her. I rarely make pancakes for my guests. I never want to serve anything that they might eat at home or a diner. If I do make pancakes I like to serve unique ones they will never have anywhere else. These Tiramisu pancakes are now a guest favorite too. To be honest we were never a pancake family ~ Chloe has changed us all – forever!

Pop over to my facebook page to get the recipe. Or, better yet, book a night during the month of February, and I will serve them for breakfast. February is all about Romance & Chocolate! We are offering a special to entice you!

Stay two nights and I will be serving chocolate and raspberry crepes on one of those days.

Of course during the winter it’s all about healthy, hearty food! This year as usual it’s soup, soup and more soup!

This Curry Butternut Squash Soup was inspired by Emmy from the The Starving Artist Cafe, and Ina Garten from The Barfoot Contessa.

Curry Butternut Squash Soup

3 onions chopped

6 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large butternut squash chopped into 1″ cubes

3 carrots sliced

3 celery stalks sliced

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup unsweetend coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 dashes of cayenne powder

salt & pepper to taste

Carmelize the onions with the olive oil. Add the butternut squash, carrots and celery. Stir in the spices and if needed a little more olive oil. Add the vegetable broth and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender and soft. Blend and return to pan. Add coconut milk to make a creamy consistancy. Season to taste. Garnish with olive oil, avacado’s and unsweetend shredded coconut.

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing towards the future – Tich Naht Hanh

When I am not eating my own soup I go to my very favorite lunch spot, The Starving Artist Creperie & Café. I usually order crepes, delicious salads or a fabulous sandwich. In the fall and winter I always include soup! Their soup inspires me to come home and try to repeat what I just had! Emmy the owner, is an amazing cook and makes up her own recipes. I love being inspired by her! I think she serves the best soup in the Berkshires! The Creperie also has my vote for the best lunch in the Berkshires! We all love the food and atmosphere equally. The attached gallery is always featuring colorful and interesting art. On Sunday’s they offer a musical brunch too.

10959827_809138522475078_5846185759047379420_n — The Creperie also has the best latte’s!

Thank you for coming by my blog today. I hope you come back soon.

#pancakes@crabtreecottage #veganfood berkshire activiites janismonachinadesigns

Thoughts This Holiday Season At Crabtree

Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you. Thinking of you this holiday season!” -T.A. Barron

We have officially entered the holiday season ~ I love to include Thanksgiving as the kickoff! I love to think about how to set the stage for the season. I imagine how to make our family, food, and all of our festivities cozy. I plan how to provide a fun and inspiring atmosphere. With my menu’s planned, and a decorating theme in place, I am off! This year I am committed to simplicity, nature and tradition ~all with a twist of course!

Delicious and Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies ~ pop over to my facebook page for this recipe, and while you are there, will you like us? These cookies are chewy in the center with a professional bakery look and taste too. We had our daughter Julia’s first homemade pies and these delicious cookies for our Thanksgiving dessert. I had to make another batch today because we have guests for the weekend. They do not last long ~ beware!

~ I just ATE my WILLPOWER ~

We had our first snowstorm of the season! It was gorgeous and magical. It was also wet and heavy! After a couple of days of very droopy branches, Jeff decided it was time to get some of that heavy snow off the stressed branches.

In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.

– David Steindl-Rast

For the winter season we are offering a special in La Chambre Bleue.

Stay in this comfy room for $125.00 per night (total cost). This is a queen size room, with a private bath, a 32 inch flat screen tv, and wifi. This low rate includes a full, delicious breakfast too. Step outside your room to our lovely parlor and hang out in front of our cozy fire.

Margot sure knows about cozy and comfy that is for sure. Here she is all tucked in for a movie marathon after a busy Thanksgiving!

Who needs to watch movie stars to be entertained ~ we have Margot!

“The root of joy is gratefulness.” – David Steindl-Rast

Thank you for coming by my blog today. Come back soon.

Janis

#holidaydecor #homedécor janismonachinadesigns

Spring ~ glorious spring!

“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” Mark Twain

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It is officially Spring! Yippee! We have so many outdoor activities planned. After this long and cold winter we certainly are not able to jump into anything outdoors just yet. There are still some piles of snow left to melt! We do however still have to keep our bodies, minds and spirits healthy, happy and joyful.

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Just because we don’t have flowers outside yet doesn’t mean we can’t indulge on the inside. Even though the days are longer and warmer there are still some cold, dark days ahead. We have to pull out all of the stops to keep our souls nourished too.

“I must have flowers, always, and always.”

― Claude Monet

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My all time favorite shop in downtown Lee, is my sister in law’s shop, Karen Keenan’s Gifts & Home. I popped in there to get a dose of spring on a very gray and rainy day. Outside it was dreary, damp and muddy ~ inside it was bright, happy and inspiring.

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Wasn’t that fun? I just felt so good after seeing all of those happy and bright colors. When I came home, I played with my new spring purchases!

First, I added some faux pussy willows to my real pussy willows. I just didn’t have enough real ones to fill my birch basket and the faux ones had the nice hint of green too. It’s a bit too early for pansies so this will be a subtle hint of Spring.

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One of my favorite, simple, little rituals is to refresh my potpourri seasonally. I feel it is a welcoming touch in my front entry to greet my guests. The one I bought is called, The Smell of Spring. It was certainly time to replace my winter/ holiday arrangement. I save the freeze dried materials, natural wood chips, pinecones etc. from year to year, and toss the shavings.

This bright and cheery dish-towel did the trick for my kitchen. This one is perfect for my color scheme! A pop of color ~ so simple yet so dramatic.

We are still wearing winter clothing right now, but won’t this scarf perk up any outfit? I am going to sport it with my new hot pink nails from Lucky Nails. Spring, Spring Spring!

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We also love clean eating, especially this time of year when we are trying to lighten our load!! In the Ayurvedic tradition spring is the time of year to shed your winter coat. Here are a few of our new clean eating recipes.

Giada’s green juice & recipe

Rise & Shine juice

5 ounces baby green spinach leaves, 2 medium carrots, 2 apples, 2 celery stalks, ½ large lemon or lime, 1 2inch piece of ginger. Process through a juice maker and pour over ice. I am in love with this fresh green juice!

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Spring rolls for dinner tonight!

Chop up all of your favorite vegetables finely into match sticks, cook your vermicelli rice noodles, and prepare your workspace. Assemble your rolls by placing the rice paper in hot water for a few seconds, placing your choice of green, I used a piece of kale with the main vein removed. Place the vermicelli and the veggies inside the green, ending with tofu or avocado on top. Roll like a burrito by rolling and tucking the sides in. I then made a peanut sauce: peanut butter, tamari, chopped garlic, minced ginger, hot sauce, and hot water. Light and clean but very satisfying.

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”It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”” ~Mark Twain

Happy spring! Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#healthyfood janismonachinadesigns karen keenan gifts & home spring in the berkshires

March comfort

MAY YOU ALWAYS BE BLESSED

WITH WALLS FOR THE WIND.

A ROOF FOR THE RAIN.

A WARM CUP OF TEA BY THE FIRE.

LAUGHTER TO CHEER YOU.

THOSE YOU LOVE NEAR YOU.

AND ALL THAT YOUR HEART MIGHT DESIRE.

(Irish Blessing)

Vegan Irish soda bread

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter, cut into pieces
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants (You can substitute raisins if needed.)
2 teaspoons caraway seed, optional
3/4 cup vegan milk
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease two baking sheets (or you may use silicone baking sheets in place of greasing).

Stir or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended.

Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Stir in the raisins, currants (if using), and caraway seeds (also if using).

Make a well in the center of your mixture and pour in the milk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times.

Divide the dough into two balls, and place onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven’s heat to 375 degrees F., and bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. You will bake your soda bread for a total of about 30 minutes, however you may need an extra 5-10 minutes (I should have baked mine for another five minutes at least as it was still a little doughy in the center). Allow the bread to cool before cutting or storing.

Cut into wedges, then serve! They are perfect as they are, or you can add vegan butter.

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cut the butter into the flower using a pastry blender

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This is a perfect Irish Soda Bread ~ I plan on serving it with my version of an Irish Breakfast. I’ll post more on that in a future blog.

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We still have snow here in the Berkshires and one place you may want to go for snowshoeing or cross country skiing is Canterbury Farm in Becket Ma ~ just 15 minutes away. www.canterburyfarms.com . A very special wooded wonderland!

The Norman Rockwell Museum is just a 10 minute drive to Stockbridge. visit www.nrm.org for current exhibitions.

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown Ma ~ just 45 minutes away has a variety of exhibitions for free in the off-season. ELECTRIC PARIS is showing now through April 21, 21013. I can’t wait to see “The City of Light!”

Many of the restaurants are offering St. Patrick’s Day Specials. Our favorite tavern, The Morgan House, is offering a St. Patrick’s Day Buffet & green beer!! www.morganhouseinn.com ~ just a short 2 block walk away!

Of course,The Lions Den, at The Red Lion Inn, in Stockbridge, offers nightly entertainment. redlioninn.com/rli/lions_den.html and very affordable pub fare. A 10 minute drive.

Moe’s Tavern is just 1 block away, just behind our Main Street, offers, American Craft Beer. Visit www.nocoorslight.com to see what is on tap!

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Thank you for coming by my blog today~

Janis

#veganirishsodabread

Janis Monachina

Category: Thoughts

The Season of Wonder and Winter Hygge

Spring Hygee

Crabtree Cottage is now closed

A New Adventure at Crabtree Cottage!

Crabtree Cottage & Living in the Berkshires!

Winter Hiking in the Berkshires

Winter Romance & Chocolate All Month Long!

Thoughts This Holiday Season At Crabtree

Spring ~ glorious spring!

“I must have flowers, always, and always.”

March comfort

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