Christmas lights in Windsor – you can see the glow from half a mile away!

People come from everywhere to the small eastern North Carolina town of Windsor just to see these lights. Folks turn off their headlighs and drive slowly through the lighted arches, past elves and santas, angels and reindeer, cut-out critters and blow-up scenes – and lots of lights, up in the trees, on the scenes. It is almost too much to see at one time.

Some nights real elves are there, chatting with the folks. I talked to one, very nice chap.

It takes Herman and Therman, and sometimes Sherman three months to put up all the characters and scenes – it takes two months to take them down.

The Hoggard triplets began this loving project in 1997 as a tribute to Therman’s daughter. (Pictured above – Herman & Therman…or is it Therman & Herman?)

Herman does the painting of all the scenes; each year new decorations are added. They leave most of them up all year.  And their December electricity bill often tops $5,000 – they pay it gladly – there is a box for donations.

I have read  that this is one of the largest private Christmas light displays in the country – easy to believe with over 450,000 lights!

Starting the day after Thanksgiving, the magic of the lights begins – they will glow every night until New Year’s.

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DISTANCES FROM:

116 miles east of Raleigh, NC
90 miles south of Norfolk, VA
23 miles south of Edenton, NC
82 miles west of Manteo, NC (Outer Banks)
18 miles north of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston, NC

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Event: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. beginning the day after Thanksgiving through January 1st;  Phone:  252-794-4277 (Bertie County Chamber of Commerce)

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This Pumpkin Bread is quick, EASY and, oh, so tasty.

I really like this recipe for pumpkin bread, given to me by our innsitter Jeannie Simmons. I made just a few changes.

When we all ate from the land and did not import exotic foods, we ate what was fresh. So in the fall of the year and for Thanksgiving and Christmas we had lots of pumpkin dishes. My folks let me grow pumpkins in the corn patch.

I hope you’ll give this easy holiday recipe a try. I bet it becomes a new holiday baking tradition!

Pumpkin Coconut Bread from Big Mill B&B

2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cooked, unsweetened canned pumpkin (good brand)
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (see note for all-purpose flour) *
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded, sweetened coconut (reserve 1/4 cup for topping)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four mini bread pans (5 3/4″ x 3″) using cooking spray with flour like Baker’s Secret.

Whisk eggs in large mixing bowl. Add oil, sugar and pumpkin. In another mixing bowl stir together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, salt and 1/2 cup of the coconut. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Pour batter into greased loaf pans, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut. Bake for 25-35 minutes until lightly browned or until a straw inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for five minutes. Remove bread from pans and continue to cool on wire rack.

* Note: If using all-purpose flour, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

Bread will keep fresh for several days if stored in plastic wrap.

I use canned pumpkin for my pumpkin bread. Pumpkins in our stores are bred to be round, pretty and orange. The old pale, apricot-colored pumpkins still grown in the North Carolina mountains are much better for cooking than the picture-perfect orange pumpkins.

There are many heirloom pumpkins that really taste great – and they come in many colors, so don’t think all pumpkins are created equal.

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It’s Christmas on the farm at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast
and what a pretty time to be in the country(Photo of Emily & Claire Fowler and Viola Music Video
by Guy Livesay of Livesay Photography)

We have lighted trees, even under the grapevine. Guests can see a tree from every room.

This year we decorated the whole Pack House Barn with a live tree in the breezeway, candles in all the windows, greenery in the Radio Flyer and glittering lights everywhere.

On Sunday, Big Mill B&B was part of the annual Williamston Woman’s Club Christmas Tour of Homes — the “Ramble,” as they call it. All the rooms in the Pack House were thrown in suite (don’t you just love that old phrase – small town newpapers used that expression in years past to let you know the whole place was open for viewing).

(photo of Chloe Tuttle by Lucia Claire Peele)

We had a great turnout – a hundred and fifty folks attended. Decorations were done by the Salt Box Flowers & Antiques in downtown Williamston.

Violists Emily & Claire Fowler played beautiful Christmas music by the roaring fire – it was a wonderful day at Big Mill. Be sure to click below to view the video of Emily and Claire’s music at Big Mill Inn. It is sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year and Season’s Greetings to all our friends and guests, and those who will become friends and guests in the New Year.

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‘Tis the season to make, give & enjoy homemade spirits with
this easy-to-follow recipe for festive Cranberry Liqueur

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

I LOVE cranberries and I try to use them any way I can – I even float them in my kitchen sink on Christmas Day. So I knew that Cranberry Liqueur just had to be wonderful – and it is. This liqueur is my original recipe and it is a gorgeous, clear-red libation.

Since it takes 3 weeks of steeping before being ready to bottle & serve, now is the time to start prepping your very own batch of homemade Cranberry Liqueur so you’ll have plenty on hand for entertaining, seasonal gift-giving and ringing in the New Year!

Another reason to love this recipe? Nothing goes to waste! After 3 weeks of soaking the cranberries in quality vodka, simply strain to separate them from the liqueur. Reserve these vodka-infused berries and serve them as-is, or as a festive topping for homemade sorbet or ice cream. Remember, they can make you tipsy!

Big Mill B&B Homemade Cranberry Liqueur

    1 cup water
    2 cups granulated sugar
    2 cups *fresh cranberries, washed & picked through, discarding bad berries *
        (See note at end of recipe if wanting to substitute frozen cranberries for fresh)
    1 tablespoon grated orange rind
    1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
    2 cups quality vodka
         (For a stronger alcoholic mixture, swap some of the water with vodka, to taste).

Combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer sugar syrup for five minutes, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Stir in the cranberries, grated orange rind and orange juice concentrate. Remove syrup mixture from heat and cool enough so that the mixture can be safely poured into a blender or food processor. Using the chop setting, pulse so that the berries are just slightly chopped.  Allow the mixture to cool.

Add vodka and stir.

Pour into a large glass jar, cover and store in a cool, dark place for three weeks, stirring every few days.  If this is made during the winter it can be stored in a cool, dark place. If it is made in warm weather, store in the refrigerator.

After steeping for three weeks, strain the mixture several times using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth until the liquid appears clear red with no berry residue. Reserve the vodka-soaked cranberries for another use.

Pour liqueur into glass jars. Cover and store both the liqueur and the reserved pulp in the refrigerator. (This reserved pulp is great for other things such as topping ice cream and sorbet!)

Yield: 2 ½ to 3 cups liqueur. You can easily double or triple this recipe; I usually make enough to fill a gallon jar.

Photo by Chloe Tuttle

*Note – If substituting frozen cranberries for fresh, simply reduce the amount of water called for in ingredient list.

I have found that fresh cranberries will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, and for months in the freezer. Simply remove the berries from the bag and store in a plastic strawberry or blueberry container with air vents. Every week you will need to pick through and discard any bad berries.

Bottoms Up!

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