Americans have a love affair with our marshmallow PEEPS

… and we eat more than our share – we will eat 600 million PEEPS this Easter. (I call them all PEEPS, even if they are bunnies.)

PEEPS marshmallow candy – those bright-colored chicks and bunnies that we see at Easter have a long history. In 1953, it took 27 hours to make one Peep. Now the factory in Bethlehem, PA makes a billion a year. The first PEEPS were squeezed out of a pasty tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Each PEEP is a character – as they settle the nose and eyes rearrange and they get a personality.

Big Mill B&B Easter guests enjoy PEEPS served on hand-painted Italian Majolica

The Washington Post is having the 7th annual PEEPS Diorama contest. Last year’s winner was Occupy PEEP D.C. I am telling you, PEEPS’ mania is real, it’s fun and I am joining.

National Geographic did PEEPS in Places. There were PEEPS in Las Vegas, on the beach, in a subway, at Big Mill B&B in the Mule Room. Ever wonder what wine to serve with PEEPS?

PEEPS in the Mule Room at Big Mill B&B will be served with Riesling. Someone has already done the wine pairing for PEEPS and the suggestions are Riesling or Chardonnay.

You can create your own Peeps character – pick a color, outfit, give him a name and POOF he will jump on Facebook if you want him too. I am telling you, folks really get in to their Peeps.                     

Can you believe folks cook with PEEPS? There are many PEEPS recipes out there, much to my surprise. So I tried one.

Rice Krispie Treats with PEEPS

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 10  oz. pkg. Marshmallows (about 40) or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 12 PEEPS
• Optional: 1 Tablespoon marshmallow cream for glue

Freeze PEEPS overnight.

Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking pan or dish and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt 3 Tablespoons butter over low heat. In a small pan melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter (this is your glue) or you can use Marshmallow cream.

Add marshmallows to the large pan and stir until melted. Add Rice Krispies and stir until coated. Remove from heat. Using a greased spatula, press the marshmallow – Rice Krispie mixture into the greased pan. It is really sticky!

Press the frozen PEEPS on top, spacing each PEEP about 1 1/2″ apart. Allow to cool and cut into 12 squares with PEEPS in the middle. Best served the same day.

Yield: 12  (Each PEEP has 36 calories, but that does not include the Rice Krispies treat).

I believe the old adage As American as Apple Pie, shoud be As American as Marshmallow PEEPS. A word to the wise: Don’t mess with PEEPS’ fans.

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For couples who want  romantic seclusion for their wedding or vow renewal, the private, rustic setting of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast is perfect. No crowds. Just you, your mate and a few friends – if you want them.

No fuss, no stress – our team does it all for you with your guidance. Our photographer, Guy, takes the bride and groom around the farm, the lakes, the barns to get that perfect shot.  He might even use the old red truck.

If you want a different setting, we will travel – if you want to renew your vows on your boat, we will go. At your house or at the beach – our wedding officiant, Barney Conway, and photographer, Guy Livesay will join you there. Need a cake? We do that too.

We only do small, intimate ceremonies – we want your day to be an affair to remember.

(Video by Barney Conway & video photos by Guy Livesay)

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The “Dart” Found Williamston

Fox News-Detroit does a segment called “throw the dart.” Wherever the dart lands – that town gets a call. Well, it landed on Williamston, NC, and they called the Martin County Travel & Tourism Authority.

Tourism director Sarah Katherine Adams asked my nephew Barney Conway to take the call. And, of course, he did a stellar job. It’s like they called Andy of Mayberry and got Charles Kuralt. Our whole town is a-buzz! We are still talking about it.

Let me know what you think. Doesn’t it make you want to head to North Carolina? And, of course, Big Mill B&B got an honorable mention.

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We won!  BedandBreakfast.com, the foremost online Bed and Breakfast directory has released their 2009-2010 winners for the “Best Bed and Breakfast of” series.

And we won – Again!

This is better than winning the lottery. Winning the lottery is totally by chance.  But winning a BedandBreakfast.com award is an honor given by our guests. The winners are chosen from guest reviews… all 85,000 reviews. 

In 2007-2008 Big Mill was selected as one of five “Best of the South” Inns. For 2008-2009 Big Mill’s innkeeper was selected as one of 10 Best Innkeepers of the Year. 

It seems only fitting that during this holiday weekend full of celebration and time with family, I share this fun news with all our wonderful guests.  Above all, we are most thankful for YOU!

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In a June, 2000 USA Today article Jimmy Buffett names Ten of his  Favorite Watering Holes in the world. Two of these are in the Florida Keys: Louie’s Backyard Restaurant and Lounge in Key West and Alabama Jack’s in Key Largo. Speaking of Alabama Jack’s, Buffett commented that many of the characters looked like they crawled right out of the Everglades.

It is a favorite of bikers and Joy, who knows the owner Phyllis says of Alabama Jack’s, ”Most of the bikers who show up at Alabama Jack’s are attorneys from Miami who ride their Harleys on Sundays and don’t drink alcohol, but they gather and eat superbly-cooked conch fritters and Key lime pie.” 

And on Sundays you might be lucky and see cloggers on the dance floor. Betty clowned for us and gave us a clogging flip (left).

They advertise “Best Conch Fritters in the Keys.” The whole family can enjoy this Keys watering hole.  

The Caribbean Club in Key Largo has a long and vivid history. In 1935 Carl Graham FIsher, famed Florida developer built the club as a “poor man’s retreat;” this was his last venture. (Below: The view from the bar of the Caribbean Club includes Patrick.)

Publicity hype touts the Caribbean Club as being part of the 1947 movie “Key Largo” that starred Humphry Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Memorabilia of the film is still seen on the walls of this fun watering hole. Bogey (below) is joined by Patrick and Shane, the bartender.

A fire in 1955 changed the tenor of the club, but don’t fret-it is still up and running better than ever. (Below Chloe, Big Mill B&B Innkeeper, enjoys the views and characters at the Caribbean Club.)

Built in 1937 just after the devastaing hurricane of 1935, Papa Joe’s Bar and Marina has been around a long time. The bar seems to come and go but hopefully it can make it. This is a great place to catch a sunset. (2013 update: Papa Joe’s is gone, a victim of hurricanes and trends.)

And for real Keys characters you can’t miss the Paradise Pub in Key Largo. Great food and open late at night.

Yep, that is Chloe the Innkeeper (below) shooting a game of Eight Ball at the Paradise Pub, a real Shark in Paradise.

“Frankly, Scallop, I don’t give a clam.” Great sign at the Mandalay in Key Largo. The Mandalay was once a favorite hangout of locals, who stopped by after work to grab a brew. It is totally gentrified now; nice, but you won’t see many Conchs here. 

This Keys blog story is dedicated to some of my favorite Keys characters: George and Louise Scott and old Mr. Ed, who has seen his last sunset and has moved on to a better houseboat somewhere out there.  

George and Louise clean up so well that I had to search to find a Keys character photo of them. Mr. Ed was always in his Keys persona, no matter where he was. We miss him, cantankerous character that he was.

Thanks to Florida Keys historian Jerry Wilkinson for sharing his knowledge of these historic places, characters, bars and watering holes. His information about the colorful history of the Caribbean Club would be a great Chloe’s blog entry all on its own.

Can you tell which one is Jerry?

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naYou can step right off your boat and sit at the tables with the cute umbrellas…the view of the Atlantic is breathtaking.  Once Ed and I ordered a glass of wine and it was so bad we dared not throw it overboard…that would be polluting and an environmentally serious Innkeeper couldn’t do that.  Luckily the wine list has improved. 

Chloe with one of the Keys Characters Ed at Snake Creek, now called the Island Grill (above)

(Above) Chloe in front of the No Name Pub.

The standout winner for the Big Mill B&B award for the best Keysy Bar is the chloesblog in Big Pine Key. Decorated with thousands of old dollar bills, this is the real thing. It has been around since 1935 and it rather looks like it. Yes, that is a tree that fell on the building…don’t worry, it was still open for business.

"A nice place if you can find it."

That is very true. Heading south you turn right in Big Pine Key and wander around for quite awhile in residential neighborhoods. Then just before you head over the bridge to No Name Key up pops the No Name Pub.

The first time that Joy, Patrick and I went to No Name Pub several of the chairs only had three legs. Patrick tried to drink all of the Killian’s Red so he didn’t care about the chairs. Now he is the designated driver. Funny what age does to us, eh?

 Chloe and Joy inside the No Name Pub

The Pizza is actually quite good. I hope this place with all its history will be here for a long time. Do NOT miss The No Name Pub-it is one of a kind. I am sure Jimmy Buffett approves.

It is obvious that I will have to do this chloesblog entry in several installments-there are just too many great watering holes in the Keys.

(The Innkeeper has taken time away from eastern North Carolina to join dear friends Patrick and Joy at friends George and Louise’s house in the Florida Keys.)

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Oh, but I love to pick up pecans. And I like to play with limbs and sticks in the yard; but mostly I like to roll in the sunshine and throw out a few sage remarks while Chloe picks up the pecans. (I am not sure if she enjoys this as much as I do.)

(Pecans and Chloe’s old Red Flyer wagon from years ago. Chloe loves that Pecan Picker gadget)

Our four pecan trees were planted by Chloe’s folks in 1922, so they are quite grand and stately. We haven’t had pecans for a few years, mostly because of the storms.

When Chloe was a kid she used to sell pecans and sometimes she sold as many as 15 bushels. She told me that in all her years growing up on the farm at Big Mill she had never been hit on the head by a pecan until yesterday. Now she is wearing a hat.

This year we have five bushels of nuts and I must inspect them all.  

Chloe is very fond of a potato crate and we store pecans in them. I see nothing noble about these crates. If I went in a car I used to have to ride in this ridiculous crate. It was humilating. Imagine showing up for an event in a crate like some Eastern North Carolina country hick. I am not the one who has a Redneck Woman license tag on my pick up truck. Now I have my own carrier but I want a nicer, padded one.

We are working on a Big Mill pecan biscotti recipe. I don’t much care for biscotti, but Chloe tells me they go great with our guest’s morning coffee here at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast.

Mouse flavored biscotti might be nice.

I want to thank all of you kind folks who sent me presents and treats…you are great!

    (the Big Mill Fur Person)

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Now that the holiday season is approaching, I have to try to shed the Bah Humbug attitude. The best way for me to do that is to make something pretty or make a gift for someone. My mother and I used to cook and bake fudge, brownies and cookies and we made all our decorations mostly from things we had available. We dipped sweet gum balls in the handy five-gallon buckets of silver roof paint. Wonder if it was toxic?

I just love the dehydrated orange and grapefruit slices; they look like stained glass when hung on a Christmas tree. The apples are also great for stringing garlands and for wreaths. Funny, but I have noticed that men love to eat these dehydrated apples; women walk right by them. And no one can deny loving that wonderful, fresh citrus smell.  

Commercial dehydrated fruit is often sulfured to aid in preservation and to retain color. I don’t use any sulphur.

To make these yummy dried fruits you will need a dehydrator**, a knife and some fruit, either oranges, grapefruit or apples.

Recipe for Dehydrated & Dried Oranges

Ingredients

12-15 oranges (it just isn’t worth it to do fewer).  Any type of orange is fine. I usually look for the juice oranges because they are cheaper.

Using a sharp bread knife, slice the oranges crosswise and thin. Remove any seeds after you have sliced the orange. You will get 7-8 slices per orange. 

Place the orange pieces in a single layer on the dehydrating trays. Trays can be stacked on top of each other up to about 12 trays. Since the dehydrating process generates heat, it is a good idea to place the machine somewhere you might like to have the warmth. Do not leave the dehydrator unattended.  

Turn on the dehydrator to a medium setting. As the oranges begin to dehydrate, they will shrink so you can move them closer together, making room for new fruit. It could take all day for the oranges to be transparent and completely dry. If they are especially juicy, it might take longer.

Store in an airtight container until you are ready to display.

During the hot months, this fruit often attracts moths. Around April, I put my orange slices in the freezer and they will keep until the next season.  

–>  So, what are some of your favorite childhood Christmas memories?  Click on the “comments” link below and share your best recollections.  I’d love to hear from you.

 ** You can buy a dehydrator at stores like Wal-Mart or online for under $100. Cabelas sells the same one I use.

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