1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
5 C fresh diced tomatoes or 2 cans (14- ½ ounces each) diced tomatoes undrained
2 cans (10 ¾ ounces each) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 ½ C milk
1 tsp sugar
½ to 1 tsp dried basil
½ to 1 tsp paprika
1/8 to ¼ tsp garlic powder
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
In a [...]
Author Archives: theinnkeeper
Soup- Homemade Tomato
Cades Cove Preservation Association, CCPA
I read one of Dwight McCarter’s books, Lost, several years ago. Since then I have never hiked without a whistle. Furthermore, my guests hike with whistles. Period. If you are too macho to wear a whistle, I send you to Pigeon Forge to shop instead of giving you an overview and map of trails in the Park. After a day in Pigeon Forge, you will happily wear a whistle. Over time, I have populated the entire eastern seaboard with at least a gross of Wal-Mart whistles that my guests have taken home in their glove boxes, dreaming of orange and yellow leaves against the blue skies, rivers and mountains of the Smokies.
Highland Games, Scottish Highland Games, Maryville College
A year ago I wrote about the Gatlinburg Scottish Festival held in Gatlinburg. For many reasons including space, they moved this year to Maryville College, re-branded themselves as the Smoky Mountain Highland Games, and there is no looking back. Attendance last year was between 2,500-2,700; celebrating this year, for the 30th annual time, the Maryville, TN inaugural event had over 6,000 in attendance.
Posted in What's Happening Locally Tagged daily times, Gatlinburg Scottish Festival, Maryville College, Smoky Mountain Highland Games Comments closed
Beekeeping, a Family Hobby for a Smoky Mountain Inn
Most beekeepers are in it for the honey, although others maintain colonies of bees to pollinate crops, or for the beeswax, propolis, pollen or royal jelly. My brother Mike and his son Kane started beekeeping four years ago, primarily for the pollen and propolis, and secondarily for the honey.
Herb and Wildflower Day at the Townsend, TN Visitor Center
Herb and Wildflower Day, at the Townsend Visitor Center, is one of the many smaller festivals that they host all year long in Townsend, TN, but the participants are no less passionate about their subject matter. Booths were set up under the pavilion representing several of the local Herb and Wildflower Nurseries [...]
Posted in What's Happening Locally Tagged Herb and Wildflower Day, TN Visitor Center, Townsend, Wildflower Festival Comments closed
Gracehill Gazette May-June (7)
Click here for a complete reprint
Muffins- Lemon Raspberry Streusel regular or gluten free
Lemon Raspberry Streusel Muffins
Batter:
1/2 C Butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp lemon extract
zest from one lemon
½ C half and half (milk may be substituted)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
2 C flour or
2 C fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 batch of Gluten Free Lemon Raspberry Streusel Muffins
Streusel Topping:
1/3 C Sugar
1/4 C All Purpose Flour
2 T [...]
TroutFest, Townsend, TN, Hosted by the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited
A rousing success, as always, the festival is one of the largest of it’s kind in the country and the biggest in the Southeast. It’s hosted by the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited to benefit trout stream preservation and restoration. Last year they netted $45,000 that was donated to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fisheries Department.
Posted in What's Happening Locally Tagged Bob Clouser, Great Smoky Mountain Naiotnal Park Fisheries Department, Joe Humphreys, Lefty Kreh, Little River Chapeter of Trout Unlimited, Little River Outfitters, Orvis, Paula Begley, R&R Fly Fishing, Tom Rosenbauer, Townsend Visitor Center, Trout Fest, TroutFest, Zach Matthews Comments closed
Townsend, TN Fiber Arts Festival
The Fiber Arts Festival was held this past weekend at the Townsend Visitor Center amid beautiful spring weather. This is one of the smaller Townsend, TN festivals, but the attendees make up for the smaller numbers with enthusiasm and there is nothing like parking only 50 feet away from activities for guests at our Smoky Mountain Lodging!
Posted in What's Happening Locally Tagged Fiber Arts, Fiber Arts Festival, Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival, Townsend Visitor Center Comments closed
Gracehill Gazette Jan-April 2011 (6)
There is a new tab/link on our website called “Day Trips.” Occasionally when guests book, who haven’t been to the area before, they’ll ask if there is something to keep them busy for the days they are here. OH MY GOSH! I knew I could keep them busy for a week, but when we really put our heads to it we came up with 18 different day trips. I grouped activities together that would be in one geographic location so you are not running the roads from county to county….
Posted in Newsletter Tagged Calendar of Events, Day Trips, Gracehill Gazette, Recipes Comments closed
Soup- Vegan, Vegetable and Peanut Butter
My sister Lisa made this at Christmas for a light main course. As strange as it sounds putting peanut butter in a soup; it was delicious.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
1 inch (more or less) of fresh grated or minced ginger root
¼ tsp (more or less [...]
Soup- Chicken, Vegetable, Peanut Butter
My sister Lisa made this at Christmas for a light main course. As strange as it sounds putting peanut butter in a soup; it was delicious. You can leave out the chicken and make it vegan. I posted that recipe under Soup- Vegan.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through [...]
Posted in Recipes Tagged Soup- Chicken, Soup- Chicken Vegetable and Peanut Butter Soup Comments closed
Dip- Hummus (aka Chick Pea/Garbanzo Bean Dip!)
I am not a particular fan of GARBANZO BEANS, so when my sis told me at Christmas that she was going to whip up some dip with garbanzo beans in it I was less than thrilled. Hmmm, I had never tried hummus. Suffice to say, I am now a fan of this dip. (She no [...]
Posted in Recipes Tagged Chick Pea, Garbanzo Bean Dip, Hummus, Recipe for Dip, Tahini Comments closed
Thirty Historical Stops in Blount County Tennessee
In 2008, shortly after the economy tanked, again, I was trying to think of an activity I could do with my nephew, age five, that was on the cheap. Decided to take him to Sam Houston Schoolhouse and Museum. While there, I found an out of print copy of the Blount County Historic Tour Guide that became our map on a three-year long odyssey. It shows 30+ stops depicting the history of Blount County.
Posted in What's Happening Locally Tagged Blount County Historical Tour, Little River Railroad Museum, Sam Houston Schoolhouse, Thompson Brown House Comments closed
Gracehill Gazette Nov-Dec 2010 (5)
For a Nov-Dec newsletter, I thought I should place, in the top photo, a sparkly Christmas scene. But heck, here we are at the end of October, and the leaves haven’t peaked yet.
Posted in Newsletter Comments closed
Snacks- Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Chex Mix- Gluten Free
I saw a bag of this at Sams Wholesale the other day, called Muddy something, so I suppose you could buy it pre-made. It might be cheaper homemade, and you don’t have the extra chemicals in it! I got this recipe from Carol Weiner of Townsend, at Tuesday’s Dazzling Dominos Dames!
9 cups of Rice Chex [...]
Snacks- Cheerios with Peanuts (or Pecans), Cashews, and Almonds
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. dark corn syrup
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
6 c. Cheerios cereal
1 c. peanuts
1/2 c. slivered almonds
(The original recipe is above. I usually use 1 cup of peanuts, 1 cup of silvered almonds and 1 cup of cashews. You could use pecans if you have a peanut allergy. There always seems [...]
Cookies- Peanut Butter Creams
4 C unsifted powdered sugar (roughly one pound)
1 ½ C creamy peanut butter
1/3 C milk
¼ C honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1- 6oz package of semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Combine all ingredients except chocolate pieces. Mix until blended. Remove from bowl and knead on a board or granite counter top until smooth. Spread and pat into a 9” [...]
Cookies- Oreo Truffles
1 package of original Oreo Cookies, (not double stuff)
1- 8oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
1- 8oz bag of dark chocolate* see below
1- 8oz bag of white chocolate* see below
Crush the Oreos in a food processor until very fine. Combine the cream cheese until well mixed. Place in the fridge overnight for flavors to [...]
Candy- Caramel Pecan
1/3 C plus ½ C butter, divided
20 cream-filled Oreo’s crushed
1-package (14 ounces) caramels
3 C pecan halves toasted
Topping:
¾ C semisweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp light corn syrup
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Melt 1/3 C butter; stir in the cookie crumbs. Press into an ungreased 9” square baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for [...]
Candy- Toffee
I made toffee for 15 years, every year at Christmas, and then tasted Jan Whitts two years ago at a party with the Domino Dames and have never looked back. Mine you could break your dentures on, hers melts in your mouth it is so good. Her tip is not to make it while it’s [...]
Cookies- Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan Lace
These cookies spread and are lacy to look at with a slight praline taste. I’ve always made them flat, but when you take them out of the oven you can roll them around a wooden spoon handle and when hard, dip the tip in chocolate.
2/3 C all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ C [...]
Posted in Recipes Comments closed
Cookies- Ginger Snaps
1 C Sugar
¾ C Butter
1 egg
4 Tbsp Molasses
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Cloves
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 C Flour
Cream room temperature butter and sugar together. Add everything else but the flour and beat briefly, then mix in flour. Roll into one-inch balls, roll in sugar and bake for 7-10 minutes in a 375 oven.
www.GracehillBandB.com [...]
Cookies- Kisses Made Simple
1 C soft butter
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
1 C finely chopped pecans
1 package of chocolate kisses
powdered sugar for dusting after baking
Cream together butter and sugar, then add vanilla and mix. Beat in four. Adds nuts last. Unwrap foil from around kisses. Pinch off a little dough and wrap around the kiss. Place [...]
Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Before Mom and I moved to Tennessee 25 years ago, we left Illinois in a motor home with a motorcycle and scooter hanging off the front and back. My goal was to see every national park in the United States, and Canada from Victoria to St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Posted in What's Happening Locally Tagged Abrams Falls, Cades Cove, Cades Cove Hiking, Cades Cove Loop, Cades Cove Road, Cades Cove Tennessee, Cades Cove Trails, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Comments closed
