Spring Ho is Coming Soon...

While the work on the Manor and the Carriage House continues unabated, we are all anticipation for our first Spring Ho, an annual festival here in Lampasas.  Spring Ho runs from July 6, through July 12 and there are tons of things to do, including swimming in the spring-fed pool (hence the name Spring Ho), to parades, fireworks, and arts and crafts festival, live music, and my personal favorite the 10k run.  I will be donning my running shoes and slathering on the sunscreen for what is billed as the Toughest 10K in Texas.  I am not sure if that refers to the heat or the hills; possibly both.  Hope I make it to the finish line.  :)

For more information on Spring Ho, see the official website here.

Adelphia's Room is ready and so is the garden gate...

I have been a little remiss in posting of late, but I have been busy working.  The long promised garden gate is finished!  For more photos of the gate and of the Manor, check out the White Garden Events Pinterest pages in the sidebar.

Along with the garden gate, Adelphia's room is ready (sort of on schedule) and we will have Portia's Suite ready in time for Spring Ho.  Please call if you would like to reserve either or both of these accommodations for the big event.  See additional Lampasas attractions at the Chamber of Commerce Site.  I have added photos of Adelphia's Room on the main Markward Manor site--and you can check them out here.

Now, I know what everyone really wants to know--what's for breakfast if you come and stay with us at the Manor?  I have been doing some experimenting with my vast catalog of recipes, remember that my day job is as a librarian, so I am all about collecting and organizing.  Here are the two that we tested this past weekend.  I must admit that my food photography leaves a little to be desired, but rest assured that the taste is way better than the pictures.


Blueberry Muffins with Swedish Sugar

There are two secrets to fabulous blueberry muffins:

1. Fresh Blueberries--frozen will do when they are out of season o in a pinch, but there is nothing like a fresh berry.  The texture is a world of different.
2. Don't overwork the batter--this is a common mistake with muffins and pie crust.  it is tempting to stir or knead until every last bit of flour is absorbed, but don't give in to the temptation.  overworking the batter results in a tougher texture and a heavy crumb.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

This recipe is based on one I found on a loaf of Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Bread several years ago.  You can still find the recipe on their website.

Here is how I make it extra special:

1. Use Brioche rather than regular bread.  Again, it is all about the texture.  And nothing says decadence like a buttery brioche dough.  
2. Substitute white raisins and currants for the dried cranberries.  I sometimes still use the craisins, but I always add currants.  They add a little extra umph.

I have also been working on a signature coffee drink.  How does Lavender Latte grab you?  Of course we will still have regular coffee for those who prefer it.

I look forward to breakfast with you soon.  :)

More wildflowers...

May is a great time to be in Central Texas!  Every week, we see new varieties of wildflowers joining the ones already in full bloom.  This past weekend, I added some pictures to our Wildflower board on Pinterest.  We have several yellow varieties joining the Salvia and Verbena,  It looks like native Coreopsis will be around a while and there are several shades of Lantana--my personal favorite is the light pink and pale yellow mix pictured here...

For more wildflowers, see our Wildflower Pinterest board--I will be updating it as we have more blooms.

Follow White Garden Events's board Wildflowers at the Manor on Pinterest.

The Carriage House is getting ready for guests

While Lee is working on cactus removal and parking for the wedding venue, I have been working on getting the carriage house ready for our first guests.  I started with Adelphia's room--I hope she would approve my my choices.  Over the weekend, I finished up the painting (okay, full disclosure, Lee did help with the painting along with his other duties).  Here are the colors we used:

For the bedroom, a nice calm gray, that looks very well with the limestone;  the bathroom is in a shade of blue-green that I hope will call the Mediterranean to mind.  As you can see from the color names, these are Sherwin Williams colors.  I have joined "paint perks," since I plan to be doing a lot of painting.  :) Next, I will select fabrics for the accents.  I will need to resurrect my sewing skills and hope they have not atrophied after many years of disuse.  Of course, Lee will be conscripted to install new light fixtures and blinds to get everything in shape for guests.


Photos to come of the finished product.

There were more wildflowers, in new colors, but I forgot to take pictures.  I will be posting those soon, too!

Wildflowers are in bloom!

The past two weekends we have discovered that there are a lot of wildflowers at the Manor.  The whole pasture is currently covered in Salvia and it gets lovelier every day.  I hope you will come and stay with us soon.  I will post more wildflower pictures as more varieties bloom.

...Coming soon--Oxeye daisies and Cosmos...

This past weekend, April 4 was Bloomin’ Fest, a celebration of gardening and spring planting in Lampasas.  There were booths set up around the square selling food, plants, herbs, emu oil and more. 

There was also some local talent on the stage set up in front of the courthouse.   

It was not lost on me that the booth for the Democrats and the one for the Republicans were separated by about half a block.  I suppose that was to keep things amiable.  :)  This was my first festival in Lampasas and it was a lot of fun.  I hope to visit many more.

 

Up next—I am painting the gate and painting the inside of the carriage house to give it a facelift before guests begin staying.  Pictures to come of those endeavors.

My old house

First—I am really excited to be here.  I have wanted to own a historic house for a long, long time.  Friends have warned me that it will be fraught.  I hope I am prepared, but we’ll see.

One thing nobody warned me about was how much cleaning would be necessary to start out.  When you see pictures of beautifully restored homes, or visit house museums, they have already been cleaned, probably by a staff of more than one person.  Well, I don’t have staff, but I do have family members and a lot of elbow grease, which I will be using to get the house in shape for our first visitors.  First on the agenda is cleaning, and then painting.  There is of course some gardening to do, too.  J

Five things I love about my old house:

 1.   The woodwork—no where will you see today, except possibly in the houses of the rich and famous, the quality of woodwork that you will find in an old house.  Even humble homes were beautifully made.

2.   The details—the paneling, the ceilings, the staircase—all wonderfully decorative as well as functional. 

3.       The wrought iron fence—There is very little that is more wonderful for a garden than a wrought iron fence with fleur de lis.  More on that soon.  I have big plans for the gate!

     4.  The porch—I won’t have much time for sitting, but I hope to be able to eventually enjoy a good book on the porch swing.

   

         5.  The ghosts—The feeling that you are walking, working, and living where others have been before lends an air of gravitas and a sense of belonging to something larger than yourself.  What happened here one hundred years ago?  Fifty years ago?  

Call me a history nerd, it’s okay.