Drum Roll, Please...
Maybe the drum roll is a bit much, but we're pretty excited to have seen the final touches put on our fireplaces for three of our queen guest rooms this week!
As past guests will know, none of our rooms had fireplaces when we acquired Brewster House. In the summer months that is only rarely an issue (but they still make nice, romantic, additions to the decor!), but in the autumn, winter or spring, they are practically a necessity.
We talked to different fireplace vendors and found a fireplace model that was especially thin (front to back) so it wouldn't take up too much room in the guest rooms. We also found that, to avoid cutting the baseboard heating supply, we would need custom mantels to house the fireplaces. We talked to a friend who is also a furniture maker, Paul Baines of Paul Baines Fine Woodworking, and we began discussing the options. One concern we had was that, with a new mantel and fireplace, the room could be crowded. Paul came up with the idea of incorporating an armoire and dresser drawer into the mantels. Due to space considerations, each of the three rooms ended up with a different configuration, but this is the basic idea we decided to use.
We ordered the fireplaces and Paul took measurements, met with the fireplace vendor and got the manufacturer's specifications. Then he went to work. Continue reading about the fireplace project and more!
Looking at Lighthouses
In the coming weeks we plan to write about the other four lighthouses we have named rooms after, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse, Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and Marshall Point Lighthouse. We also hope to write about many of Maine's other lighthouses, as well.
All the lighthouses we have used for room names are within a one and a half hour drive from Brewster House, except for Bass Harbor (about 3.5 hours) and West Quoddy (about 4 hours). We have done day trips to all of them - they're well worth the time!
Recipe: Bananas Foster French Toast
Most of our recipes in this newsletter are posted about the same time on our blog. Not so, in this case. We're providing the entire recipe here (we will be posting it on our blog and on our Facebook page in a couple of weeks).
4 Servings (can be doubled/tripled, easily)
Custard
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk (you can use 1/2 & 1/2)
1/4 teaspoon (or more, to taste) cinnamon (we like a lot!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large croissants, cut in half
Syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum (or 1/2 tablespoon rum extract)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups bananas, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
powdered sugar (garnish)
Custard: In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla.
In a large skillet or griddle, melt some butter over medium-high heat. Dip croissant halves in egg mixture to coat both sides. Using a fork, lift croissant from custard and let excess drip off a little. Place croissant halves in hot skillet/griddle. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly brown.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, over medium heat, stir together butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, dark rum, cinnamon and pecans. Stir occasionally, and when mixture is syrupy, toss in fruit just until heated through, about a minute or so.
Plate bottom of croissant and top with some fruit-syrup mixture. Add croissant top. Garnish with more syrup, a few pieces of banana and sifted powdered sugar. Add a bit whipped cream if desired.
Enjoy!
July 3 Johnny Hiland - L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series
July 4 Independence Day Parade
July 9-11 Moxie Festival
July 10 Trombone Shorty - L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series
July 16-18 Yarmouth Clam Festival
July 16-18 Campers Weekend (1)
July 17 Freeport Food Festival - L.L. Bean
July 23-25 Campers Weekend (2)
July 24 Rogue Wave - L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series
July 31 L.L. Bean for Kids
August 3-6 Shakespeare in the Park
August 4-8 Maine Lobster Festival
August 7 Beach to Beacon 10K
August 7 Mike Doughty - L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series
August 20-22 Great Falls Balloon Festival
August 21 Ingrid Michaelson - L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series
August 21 Maine Highland Games
Did You Enjoy Your Visit to Brewster House?
We certainly hope so! If there was anything we could have done to make your visit more enjoyable, please email and let us know. If you'd like to share your comments with others, it's not too late to post a review on TripAdvisor!
We're looking forward to your next visit to Brewster House!
Scott & Ruth
Scott & Ruth Thomas
