The Bee Blog

Journey to Happiness

2009-04-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

My post today is a little different than usual -- it's actually about me, instead of written by me. But, the story is one that I wanted to share with you all -- I am so excited about what's to come! Please read on and you'll understand why....

Follow Linnea Rufo, owner of the Bee and Thistle Inn and Spa, as she organizes her own wedding to the man she married more than 15 years ago .

You’re 50-something … you’ve been married many years to the man you still love as much as that distant day when you first tied the knot. No, actually, you love him more … if that’s possible, and so a few weeks ago, while vacationing on an idyllic Caribbean isle, as the glowing sun sank below the horizon and the warm waves lapped gently around your feet, you suddenly found yourself asking him to marry you … again!

Meet Linnea Rufo – owner of the Bee and Thistle Inn and Spa in Old Lyme – and this is her story. Happily married to David for over 15 years and her partner in raising three wonderful children, she popped the question to him out of the blue on St. Maarten in early March.

Did he hesitate? Did he say he’d get back to her? Not for one second. He said “yes,” before she’d even finished the sentence.

So now to the arrangements … the date, the dress, the venue, the format. All of this is second nature to Linnea however, who’s been an event planner for over 20 years and, in her capacity as the owner of the Bee and Thistle, continues to be a sought-after wedding planner for both marriages and receptions at the Inn as well as at private locations.

When Linnea married David the first time, he declared, “I can’t stand by and watch you organize your own wedding,” adding, “I don’t want to see you up a ladder 10 minutes before the ceremony is due to start.” The solution was … they eloped! This time around he’s willing to go along with her dreams and let her plan every last detail.

Linnea is incredibly excited to have this opportunity to plan her own wedding both on the practical level of the logistics but also, in her words, “I feel I’m at a time in my life when I can embrace myself. I don’t think we should ever let go of who we are. That makes us ageless.” She asks with a twinkle in her eye, “What could be more thrilling for me than to wear a beautiful white dress?” recalling that the first time around, “I wore black velvet.” (Hint: she already has her eye on a stunning gown in “The White Dress by the shore” in Clinton. Thanks to Leslie Dumke for the photo!)

We invite you to follow Linnea as she travels through the wedding planning process of decisions, designs, decorations and so much more. See her choose the invitations, pick “the Dress,” make the guest list, select the menus, and do any other number of essential things that make a memorable wedding happen right up to - and including - the day itself.

Join Linnea and David as they take the journey of their life.

The Holiday Black Hole

2009-02-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

Can you believe my last blog was on Oct. 28th, 2008! Yes, that is the correct date, but, since I know I’m not alone in experiencing the phenomenon of the Holiday Black Hole, many of you will understand that since that date, with the onset of the holiday season, I’ve lost all concept of time. I fell into the hole around Halloween, so now I have the task of filling you in on all that has happened at the Inn over the last three months.

October 31st

Boo at the Bee was not too spooky! David and I coursed the streets of Old Lyme in costume. We stopped by EF Watermelon for a treat - Pumpkin Martinis made by Cathy Elliot, which were excellent, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you…

Ice
1 oz vodka chilled [ I used vanilla vodka]
1 oz vanilla liquer
1 1/2 oz orange juice
1TBSP pumpkin puree
Pinch of cinnamon
Fresh grated nutmeg
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka and the rest of ingredients and shake, shake, shake! Strain into martini glass and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg. And DRINK!

There were hundreds of young goblins in town. How wonderful! Kipp and Company played dressed as the Looney Tune gang at the Boo and we just danced the night away.

November 8th and 9th
My second dance competition. And yes, I’m still enjoying dancing. (Many thanks to Haessly Photography for the picture!)

November 10th
My husband of many years sets sail from Old Lyme to St. Marteen … but more about that later.

November 25th
Thanksgiving at the Inn was beautiful. There were lots of big families and the food was wonderful.

A few days later, we had the White’s over for dinner and I made Left-Over Turkey a la king. Lee wrote about it in her column … here’s the recipe.

Linnea’s Thanksgiving Left Overs Turkey a la King
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1/2 c. milk
1 c. chicken or turkey stock, homemade or store bought
2 c. cut-up left-over turkey Left over vegetables: Peas, Pearl Onions, Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts or whatever left over vegetables you have Serves 6 Carve turkey meat off the carcass. Heat butter in 2-quart saucepan until melted. Stir in flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Stir in stock and milk. Heat to boiling. Add turkey, peas, onions, celery and other left over vegetables you have from Thanksgiving dinner. Add some cut up roasted red peppers and cube up any left over dressing. Serve over Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells or make biscuits. Garnish with any left over gravy and cranberry relish.
Chicken or turkey stock: Chicken or turkey carcass 1 large onion, 4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2, 4 ribs celery cut in 1/2, 2 bay leaves, 10 sprigs fresh parsley, 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled Enough water to cover carcass Place ingredients in stockpot. Cook on high until you see liquid beginning to boil. Turn down to medium low heat and simmer for a few hours. Strain stock. Cool stock. It freezes well.

November 29th
I spent the day decorating the Inn for the holidays and Afternoon Tea.

December 5th
Holiday Open House

This is one of my favorite events at the Inn. The young kids from town visit and see the decorations, trees and, of course, the famous gingerbread houses. They listen to the Victorian carolers, sip on hot cider, and feast on chocolate chip cookies. They come dressed for the season and are so well behaved.

Every Week in December We offered the chance to take a Victorian Tea at The Bee and Thistle on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons of November and December. Imagine an experience that allows you to step back in time into an unhurried world, where you can relax, sit back and immerse yourself in the company of friends and family. This was what we offered with our teas so our guests could unwind as they were pampered with delicious fare in a beautiful setting filled with exquisite music far away from the burdens of the economic crisis and the stress of the holiday season.

With the inn tastefully decorated for the season, warm fires glowing in the fireplaces and the music of harpist Faith Leitner in the background, we set out to create the perfect ambiance for these teas … and people say we succeeded! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the Inn was closed.

December 25th
This year on Christmas Day I invited my family to the Inn and they accepted. I was thrilled. They arrived around 2 p.m. - all 30 of them! The house seemed so happy with family in every room and kids running up and down the stairs.

We exchanged presents and then had a wonderful meal, which I prepared … all 30 of us at one big table. Someone started ‘telephone’ and we all had fun with that. Then there was a special performance on the violin by my nephew Harry and Gabriel, a friend who joined us for dinner. Later we had a bonfire with cider and s'mores, so there was more singing to nephew Owen’s guitar and later that same night, we found time for a game of boules. Finally we said Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

December 31st New Year’s Eve Ringing in the year is always fun, but this year the weather created some issues. Here at the Inn though, the 14-piece-band “Flamingo” was great. Kris had a perfect menu and I love to watch everyone dance and kiss when the clock strikes midnight.

Here’s wishing everyone much happiness in 2009.

January 7th
My way out of the Black Hole was on Jet Blue flight 787 to St. Marteen. As I mentioned earlier, David had sailed there from Old Lyme - it took him a month. He sailed with four other mariners, one of them my brother, Ralph, a commercial fisherman from Kakacan, Alaska. So I am here on this beautiful Island with David and TIDE, the pretty boat that worked so hard to make it possible to have a home away from home on this blue water. We have met some wonderful friends here as we sip rosé and watch the fabulous sunsets. We set sail tomorrow for St. Barths.

I wish the Bee could be here …

Come Visit Us and Feel the Music!

2008-10-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Over the past two and a half years of owning the Bee and Thistle Inn I have seen many people come through the front door, but, in those first few months of being at the inn, one of the most special people stepped through that door. It was in March of 2006 and I was still sitting in the middle of construction and we had an April 1st opening looming.

I had been inundated with sales people wanting to sell me anything and everything for the inn, when yet another gentlemen approached me in the office. My immediate reaction was, "What does this one want to sell me?" Instead, I heard these words, "Hello I am Kipp. I would like to play guitar for you on the weekends." Something about the way this person spoke was very special. "OK," I said, "We are having a soft opening and you can play for your dinner."

Well ... hard to believe but Kipp has been at the inn every Saturday since that memorable first night. Plus many more unbelievable weddings, birthdays, and other special events. Anyone who dines with us on a Saturday night leaves with the experience of having been touched by Kipp's music. He comes each week with Mike, Dave or Dan, who are the other amazing artists that play with him. I also have had the honor of singing a few tunes with them. My hat is off to Kipp and company and let me tell you that Kipp has many hats and other attire on a Saturday night! He's like a box of chocolates - you never know what your are going to get ... come visit us and feel the music!

Kate, Sam and the Tale of the Wedding Cake

2008-10-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have helped plan many weddings both here at the Bee and Thistle Inn and beyond.

One of the greatest gifts of being an event planner is meeting the people you will be working with. Some of my best life memories come from just such people. When sitting down with a couple for the very first time to talk over plans for their special day, what I find most interesting are their visions of the upcoming event.

As we work on the details, all sorts of idea come up. But one of the things I dread to hear is a plan for someone other than me to do the wedding cake. Perhaps it’s Auntie Bessie, who wants to be helpful, or the bride’s best friend that has always wanted to try her hand at baking.

It’s not that I am the best wedding cake maker in the world, but I do have two fundamental rules. One, it must taste unbelievable, and second, it must look beautiful.

Enter Kate and Sam, who just were married this past Saturday, Oct. 11 (one of the most special weddings I have been part of.) Looking at this beautiful couple sitting across from me, suddenly out pops the question, “Can Sam make the wedding cake?”

I try to explain how involved it is to make a wedding cake for almost 200 people, but a few weeks before the wedding, I open an email from Kate saying that Sam will definitely be making the wedding cake … WHAT?

I think for a moment before responding. They are an amazing couple - I love them and, of course, they can do what ever they want.

The day before the wedding, I get another call. It’s Sam this time with a number of questions about putting the cake together. Plus he told me he thought it looked uneven.

I said I would come and look at it right away. Driving there, I told myself, “You should have listened to your own advice - this cake is going to be a mess and all the people at the wedding are going to think you made it.”

As I walked into the kitchen where Sam was working, I had a big surprise! The cake was perfectly baked and, when it was put together, it looked absolutely beautiful.

When telling guests that the groom, Sam, had made the wedding cake for his bride, Kate, everyone (women) melted. And they all said, "Isn’t that romantic?"

All the best to Kate and Sam … oh, and the cake tasted great!

Go Ask Your Mother (or any family member!)

2008-10-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

The phone conversation went like this.

Linnea: Hi Mom, can I have the recipe for the cookies you make every New Year’s Eve?

Mom: I don’t think I have one. I have been making them as long as I can remember. Your grandmother taught me.

Linnea: What are they called?

Mom: (Long pause.) I don’t know. I will take a look on the box and give you a call.

My Swedish Grandmother, Elna Linnea Forrest

So I started thinking … that was my Swedish grandmother’s recipe. Where could I find it? And what about all the other recipes that I have grown up with, but are in people’s minds rather than on paper? My Italian grandmother, from whom I think my mother and I learned everything we know about food, passed at age 96 without ever writing down a single recipe. She would make me a drink in the morning that I will always remember.

Another call.

Linnea: Hi Dad. Do you remember the coffee drink Noni used to make?

Dad: Oh yes.

Linnea: Does it have a name?

Dad: No name

Linnea: No name?

Dad: I don’t think it has a name.

Linnea: Did she make it up just for us or did people drink out in the wider world?

Dad: I know our family would always drink it.

Linnea: In the morning?

Dad: No, anytime. Someone would ask. Does anyone want eggnog? I think that’s what they called it.

My Italian Grandmother, Assuntina Galino Cianflone

So I set out to find the recipes and this is what I can up with … enjoy!

The cookies: Rosettes

2 eggs 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Combine eggs, sugar, and salt; beat well. Add remaining ingredients; beat until smooth. Heat rosette iron in deep, hot oil (350 to 375oF) for two minutes. Drain excess oil from iron; dip in batter to 1/4 inch from top of iron, then immediately into hot oil. Fry rosette until golden, 10 to 30 seconds. Lift out; tip upside down to drain. With fork, push rosette off iron onto rack placed over paper towels. Reheat iron 1 minute; make next rosette. If you have two rosette irons, reheat one while using the other. Stir batter from time to time as you will get some oil in it. Sprinkle rosettes with confectioner's sugar. You will need to have a Rosettes Iron.

The coffee drink: Coffee Imperial

(This was the closest recipe I could find to Noni’s wonderful Egg Nog)

1 Egg yolk 1 Spoonful of sugar Hot Coffee Steamed Milk Brandy (optional) In a coffee cup, combine egg yolk and sugar. Beat until light and thick. Add hot coffee and top with steamed milk.

My Mother Louise, my brother David, and me

So, ask your family for those recipes you’ve never had. Email me your stories and I will post one on my Blog. One of the senders with a special story will be presented with a one night stay (mid-week) and dinner in our Garden Porch Lounge at The Bee and Thistle Inn & Spa.

The Toast Will Pop Up Tomorrow

2008-09-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Mornings are wonderful. A chance to make things better if the previous day did not work out quite the way you planned or to be surprised (and hopefully) delighted by what the new day may bring. In the morning, I look forward to each new day with my toast and coffee … but this is neither any old toast nor any regular coffee.

My toast is Fabled Foods Walnut Cranberry Seven Grain bread made in Deep River, Conn. Fabled Foods has a wide assortment of breads, but, sadly, no retail. You can, however, call for the nearest outlet at 860-526-2666 and ask for Ina - she is the wonderful woman behind the breads.

And my coffee is made in my Nespresso machine. Over the past three decades, Nestle Nespresso has been a leading pioneer in the global coffee market. Its stylish machines and Grand Cru coffees, available both in exclusive Nespresso boutiques and via the company web at www.nespresso.com, appeal to connoisseurs around the world. We bought this machine five years ago and will never drink any other coffee at home.

Another great part of every new day for me is that my husband David will come to the bedroom door with our Jack Russell, Irene, around 7:30 a.m. (he gets up much earlier than I do) and ask, “Toast and coffee in the living room … or in bed?” So my days are always off to a really special start!

Relationships

2008-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

We have many significant relationships in our lives … childhood best friend, first love, mother and father, spouse, children, to name but a few. But, as a restaurant owner, I have learned, and now firmly believe, that another really important relationship in my life is the one with my chef.

I stopped cooking professionally 15 years ago, but I feel I still need to have a lot of say about what goes on in the kitchen. Over the past two and a half years of owning the inn, I have courted a couple of chefs without success. Just when I was about to give up and beginning to think that a match to complete this culinary experience would never happen … in walks Kristofer Rowe!

We not only had similar backgrounds, but also the same thoughts about food. Honestly, it seemed too good to be true. Well, 18 months later, I can honestly say I have never been happier. It has gotten to the point that I can just think of a change for the menu and then find Kris has already done it!

The inn recently had a format change in its dining, which involved scaling back on kitchen staff, and, on a busy Saturday night, Kris (who is really a mutant from the X-men) transforms, and then uses his extraordinary chef powers to see that the kitchen runs without a hitch. And one more thing … he never (and I mean never) loses his cool.

It is wonderful to have Chef Kris in my life. (And sincere thanks also to Dawn, his real other half, for sharing him with us.)

Battle of the Boules

2008-09-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of boules? No, neither had I! That was before food critic extraordinaire Lee White, who also happens to live in Old Lyme, invited David and me to her house one day early last year to learn this wonderful game that’s the French equivalent of lawn bowling. It’s also known as pétanque in France. Well, we were immediately hooked. In no time, David had installed a court here at the Bee and we started our regular Thursday evenings of boules, fun, and even the occasional glass of rosé! Moving on to this year, I thought, just for fun, I’d throw out a challenge to another group of boules aficionados, who are known as the Boules Des Dimanches (boules on Sunday) team and led by none other than French gastronome Jacques Pépin. I had a white leather glove on a satin pillow inside an antique leather box delivered to him with the words, “We at the Bee Challenge Thee.” Being the great guy (and competitor!) he is, Jacques accepted immediately and then we set about arranging the details.

View across the court

Two Sundays ago, on August 24, the boules challenge took place. The day was perfect. I got up early and prepared the main dinner. I really felt I needed to cook for that day. The menu was a sweet corn vichyssoise, whole roasted fish with mustard nut crust, forever roasted pork with toasted spice rub. The entrees were served with heirloom tomato bread pudding, grilled vegetables and potato salad. The appetizers were supplied by the Boules des Dimanches. They were fresh-shucked oysters, shucked by professional oyster-shucker Kimmy Koczko, gravlax, lamb sausage in lettuce wraps, grilled (by Jacques Pépin on my grill!) and a gorgeous cheese platter. Boules de Dimanches team members also supplied desserts. The weather was beautiful, the wine amazing, and the people who made up the two teams were simply charming. The game was won by Boules des Dimanches, but they graciously handed the beautiful plaque designed by Peter Good of Cummings & Good in Chester, Conn., to our team, now christened Boules à L’Abeille (boules at the bee), to keep until next year’s challenge.

Linnea, David & Jacques with plaque

Photos by Olwen Logan, www.LymeLine.com

Buttermilk Scones Recipe

2008-09-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

I would like to share with you one of our most requested recipes: Buttermilk Scones

3 Cups all purpose flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup (approximately) buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

4 tablespoons jam or jelly and/or 4 tablespoons diced or small plump dried fruits, such as currants, raisins, apricots or figs for filling (optional)

Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425º F.

Mixing and Kneading: In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together with a fork. Add the cold butter pieces and, using your fingertips (the first choice), a pastry blender or two knives, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. It’s OK. If some largish pieces of butter remain – they’ll add to the scones’ flakiness.

Pour in 1 cup buttermilk, toss in the zest, and mix with the fork only until the ingredients are just moistened – you’ll have a soft dough with a rough look. (If the dough looks dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.) Gather the dough into a ball, pressing it gently so that it holds together, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead it very briefly – a dozen turns should do it. Cut the dough in half.

To make triangular-shaped scones, roll one piece of the dough into a _ inch thick circle that is about 7 inches across. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and cut the circle into 6 triangles. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet and set aside while you roll out the rest of the dough.

Baking Scones: Bake the scones for 10 to 12 minutes, until both the tops and bottoms are golden. Transfer the scones to a rack to cool slightly. These are best served warm but are just fine at room temperature.

Storing: If you’re not going to eat the scones the day they are made, wrap them in airtight container and freeze; they’ll stay fresh for a month. To serve, defrost the scones at room temperature and reheat on a baking sheet for 5 minutes in a 350º F oven.

Visitors!

2008-09-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Last spring we noticed that a couple of red tailed hawks had moved in to the grounds of the Bee & Thistle and in June we met one of their babies. It fell out of the nest in a black walnut tree. We called in the bird whisperers and they took the (not so little one) and kept it for a week to get its strength back. Then we reunited the bird with its other siblings and to this day we see them all over the property.

Get up and ... dance!

2008-08-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

Owning an inn and restaurant is both a very demanding and time-consuming business. Sometimes, it suddenly hits you that not only days, but weeks, and even months, have gone by since you did anything for yourself that really rejuvenates your soul. OK, so that was me ... and there I was six months ago reading the local paper, when I noticed a stunning ad by the Fred Astaire Studios in Mystic, Conn. (www.fadsmystic.com) , featuring a beautiful couple in a sexy dance hold.

Well, I just love to dance, so I signed up instantly, and, can you believe, five months later I find myself dancing the Cha Cha, Rumba, and Salsa with my instructor Rogelio Garcia in the 43rd Colonial Classic dance competition.

It was a truly wonderful experience, and guess what? I will be competing again in November! So Innkeepers (or anyone else out there in need of a soul-rejuvenating experience), my advice to you is 'Get up and ... dance" ... or what ever floats your particular boat!

Dance competition photos courtesy of Haessly Photography, haesslyphoto.com