This month's recipe comes from a story told at breakfast 2 weeks ago. Seems one of our guests had a 3-berry pound cake for dessert at Jameson Tavern over 10 years ago. He liked it so much he's still talking about it! I asked the dining room manager if there was a recipe but it couldn't be found. So, we winged it at breakfast the next day.
Here's what we came up with:
1 lb of frozen mixed berries (I would definitely use fresh if they are available) 1/3 c sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla pound cake (because of the last minute timing I used pound cake from the bakery)
To make the berry sauce- reserve out the largest of the berries, mash the remaining berries with a fork and heat in small saucepan with the sugar and lemon. Boil approx 3 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Slice reserved berries into bite-size pieces and add to sauce.
Slice pound cake and top with berry sauce and whipped cream. Berry sauce can be made several days in advance and be kept in the fridge. Reheat when ready to serve.
Serves 8-10 depending on how large the pound cake is! You can see we cut it fairly thick.
White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032 Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

Once again delving into the esoterica of numbers at a B&B! (Keeping track? Here's a link to 2010's numbers.)

• Best year ever! Thank you all for considering White Cedar Inn when you travel in Maine!
• Longest stay- 8 nights.
• Pounds of blueberries used- 37! That includes the frozen berries from Wymans and the fresh berries from the farmers markets.
• Number of years the inn has been open- 25!
• Maple syrup we got from tapping the trees in the front yard- 1 gallon.
• Number of days in a row we had guests in the house- 128. (We had to stop to replace the boiler and hot water tank.)
• New breakfast recipes we tried- bacon-cheddar pinwheels, 3-bite apple turnovers and lemon cake with blueberry sauce.
• Recipes that failed- bacon cupcakes (too sweet) and apple & brie crostini (too soggy).
• Who came from the farthest away? Australia wins again! Second place goes to Hong Kong with honorable mention going to South Africa!
• From which countries do you hail?

1. US- 88%
2. Canada- 6%
3. UK- 2%
4. Italy- 1%
5. The other 3% are from: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland.

• Which states?

1. MA- 15%
2. NY- 8%
3. CT- 8%
4. ME- 6%
5. PA- 5%
6. NJ- 5% 
7. NH- 5%
8. CA- 3%
9. RI- 3%
10. VT- 3%
11. FL- 2%
12. TX- 2%
13. No one at all from: AK, DE, HI, IA, ID, MS, MT, NM, SD or WY.

Thanks again to everyone who stayed with us last year! We hope to see you all again this year.
White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032 Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

Views from Ft Allen, Eastern Prom, Portland, Maine Spent some time this afternoon wandering around in Ft Allen Park on the Eastern Promenade in Portland. The Eastern Prom hiking trail is a little over 4 miles one way. Some of the best water views in Portland are here.
5 different forts are visible in the Portland area. Taking the Casco Bay Ferry gives you a view of Fort Scammel, Fort Gorges and the earthworks of Fort Allen. A short drive and you can walk around Fort Preble and Fort Williams. Check out Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, Bug Light and Portland Head Light at the same time.
Fort Allen is now beautiful neighborhood park with a bandstand and numerous memorials commemorating a War of 1812 battle off the coast of Maine between the USS Enterprise and the HMS Boxer, the Civil War, the USS Maine (Spanish-American War), the USS Portland (WWII) and local 9/11 first responders and rescue workers. The fort offers access to the Eastern Prom Trail, with parking at a trail head.



Cannon from USS Maine. South Portland, Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, Bug Light and Casco Bay Ferry in the background.


Ship's bell from USS Portland.
9/11 Memorial.  White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032
Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

A to Z guide to breakfast at White Cedar Inn~
A: Agave nectar, Apple turnovers, Apple pie pancakes; B: Blueberry pancakes, Bread pudding, Bacon; C: COFFEE!, Cranberries, Cantaloupe; D: Donuts? No way! E: Eggs, Eggs, Eggs; F: French toast, Fruit, Fuji apples; G: Granola, Goat cheese, Green peppers; H: Hot chocolate, Honey, Hot sauce; I: Ice cream (Yes, for breakfast!), Italian bread (for the French toast), Individual tables; J: Juice, Jam, Jelly; K: Kiwi, Ketchup (for those eggs), Kisses (the Hershey kind!); L: Lemon-blueberry French toast, Lactaid, Lettuce (really); M: Maine maple syrup, Mango, Melons; N: No Pop Tarts here! O: Orange juice, Onions, Oatmeal; P: Peaches, Pears, Potatoes; Q: Quiche, Quick breads, Quik (for the kids!); R: Raspberries, Red peppers, Rock (the cook!); S: Sausage, Strawberries, Salsa; T: Tomatoes, Thyme, Toast; U: Upside down cake, Ugli fruit, Umpteen cups of coffee; V: Vegetarian- not a problem! W: Watermelon, Waffles, Whipped cream; X: eXcellent conversation; Y: Yogurt, Yellow squash, Yams; Z: zzzzzz- You don't want to sleep through this breakfast!
White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032
Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

Are you getting ready to plan your Maine vacation, but dreading the planning process? Take the pain out of the process by using these timely shortcuts for a great vacation, planned in record time!

1. Plan Where You Want to Spend Your Time.
Maine is more than the Maine coast, and more than its mountains. There are eight distinct tourism regions, from the beaches in the south to the sparsely populated area in the north. They are described briefly in the Regions page at the State of Maine's official tourism site.Our blog has an article with more details for each one in our guide to a Maine vacation, "Visit Maine Like A Mainer." Some will want to tour all (or at least most) of the regions, while others prefer to find a region or two that they love, and spend their Maine vacation in those areas.

2. Decide When You Want to Visit Maine.
For a quick overview, the Seasons page from the Visit Maine site will provide basic information on seasons, and some activities that are particular to a season.The most popular time in most areas of Maine is the summer and Autumn (July through October). The weather is generally warmer, temperatures are mild for the most part (though most years see a week or two when we are happy to have air conditioners in our guest rooms). Later Spring can also bring Summer-like weather, with fewer visitors. Fall is the foliage season, of course, and is a very popular time to visit. In the mountains, Winter is very popular with downhill skiers, and cross-country skiers will find great locations throughout the state.

3. Take Advantage of Local Knowledge
If you plan to visit the Maine coast, to see lighthouses, visit Maine's beaches or rocky coastline, you'll want the latest information on the nearest lighthouse, the best beaches for your style of vacation, or the best locations along the Maine coast for photography. The very easiest way to find out where to go is to stay at the perfect alternative to a traditional Maine hotel -- to stay in a Maine bed and breakfast, such as our Freeport Maine bed & breakfast. Your B&B innkeepers will be able to give you the information you need to find just the kind of activities that will suit your interests.

4. Look for Packages, Specials or Tours
Many bed and breakfasts will offer vacation packages, specials or tours to help you with your planning. For example, at Brewster House we offer several packages throughout the year, as well as seasonal specials, a Lighthouse Tour package and a Fall Foliage Tour package. If you take advantage of these specials and packages, you not only save money (there is even a small savings in the busy summer season), but you'll have several activities pre-planned, so your Maine vacation will have plenty of opportunity to see things that many visitors miss, and you won't have to spend your valuable vacation time wondering what to do next.

5. Be Sure to Include Unique Opportunities
For some, the uniqueness of Maine is the opportunity to visit the rocky Maine coast. For others, it is to see moose during their Maine vacation. Still others want to visit as many of Maine's lobster shacks as possible.Whatever your interests, be sure you do a bit of homework (search the web, contact the innkeepers at your B&B, visit the VisitMaine website, etc.) to be sure you will be able to see the things that will make your Maine vacation a memorable one.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your Maine vacation!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast

Many of our guests were aware that we were closing for a few weeks of vacation and enjoying a climb on Kilimanjaro and a safari (climb for Robin, safari for all of us).  We are safely back in Freeport, having had a great time away (our first in five years)!  Robin did great on his climb, despite unusually cold temperatures and blinding sand storms.  Kilimanjaro is 19,340 feet to the summit and Robin made it to 17,500 feet before the sand took over and caused temporary loss of site, forcing him to come down.  He had an amazing experience and we are proud of his accomplishment.  The safari was unbelievable!  We saw the migration and as Elyse says “all of the animals possible.”  We will gladly share pictures and stories with anyone interested.  It was truly a trip of a lifetime.

One last road trip before we reopen on Friday! We headed up I 95 to Bangor. Less than 2 hours away and a really easy drive. You can take a more leisurely route back by getting off the interstate and wandering the back roads through Liberty where you can go on the Tool Time Tour!
A few scenes from the trip:

The tallest Paul Bunyon statue in the country.
(Who knew there was more than one!)
Remarkable resemblance to Rock, don't you think?



Lunch at Dysart's Truck Stop. Yes, truckers abound. As well as lots of locals. Great food and excellent service. Exit 180 in case you're hungry and driving by.
Bangor waterfront in winter. Up the Penobscot River from the Penobscot Bay. Farther downriver is the Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory at Fort Knox.
Then we drove past the House on Maple Street. Too cold out for the Lawnmower Man or even for The Mist to form. It would be Misery and cause Insomnia to miss this Dark Tower so close to the Pet Sematary.(Want to take the Tommyknockers Tour? Check the Bangor Maine CVB site for details and tickets.)
White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

Over the past weekend we discovered that our website was down. Our email was down, as well. Naturally, we immediately contacted our hosting company to make sure they were aware of it, and working to restore service. They were.

While they didn't share with us the cause of the problem, we suspect it was quite serious. Hosting companies can occasionally have downtime for maintenance, and occasionally for a short time for technical problems, but ordinarily service is restored in a few minutes, or at most an hour or so.This time the outage didn't go away.

After several hours, we were able to get to the server, but the website was completely gone (we presume they had wiped the server clean and were restoring a backup version. We put up a temporary page apologizing for the problem and providing our phone numbers and links to our reservation system, and held our breath.

We kept checking, but there was no update over the next day or so.

Finally, we noticed that portions of the website were on the server, and we were able to get the site back online. We again contacted the hosting company, as email was down, and they informed us that they would have that up again once the websites were all up and stable.

In all, our website was down for the better part of two days, and email a bit longer. We're very grateful that it is working properly again.

We know of some folks who were trying to view room photos and other items on the site while it was down. If you were unable to reach the site, or contact us by email, we certainly apologize, and hope you'll return or contact us again, as things are now back to normal.

We are also upgrading our hosting with a new company, as well as working on a new website design, all of which we hope to have rolled out in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we're just thankful that this didn't happen in the summer, when far more people would be using the website!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast

Over the past weekend we discovered that our website was down. Our email was down, as well. Naturally, we immediately contacted our hosting company to make sure they were aware of it, and working to restore service. They were.

While they didn't share with us the cause of the problem, we suspect it was quite serious. Hosting companies can occasionally have downtime for maintenance, and occasionally for a short time for technical problems, but ordinarily service is restored in a few minutes, or at most an hour or so.This time the outage didn't go away.

After several hours, we were able to get to the server, but the website was completely gone (we presume they had wiped the server clean and were restoring a backup version. We put up a temporary page apologizing for the problem and providing our phone numbers and links to our reservation system, and held our breath.

We kept checking, but there was no update over the next day or so.

Finally, we noticed that portions of the website were on the server, and we were able to get the site back online. We again contacted the hosting company, as email was down, and they informed us that they would have that up again once the websites were all up and stable.

In all, our website was down for the better part of two days, and email a bit longer. We're very grateful that it is working properly again.

We know of some folks who were trying to view room photos and other items on the site while it was down. If you were unable to reach the site, or contact us by email, we certainly apologize, and hope you'll return or contact us again, as things are now back to normal.

We are also upgrading our hosting with a new company, as well as working on a new website design, all of which we hope to have rolled out in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we're just thankful that this didn't happen in the summer, when far more people would be using the website!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast

Oddly, it isn’t cold outside.  We are experiencing one of the warmest winters on record.  Today is no exception at 45 degrees and plenty of sunshine.  While the winter sports fans are sad due to the lack of snow, the weather reminds some that spring is not far away.  Time to start planning your Maine vacation.  Perhaps the Maine Flower Show will get you started in thinking spring and be your first visit to Maine for 2012.  This is March 7-11 and is one of my favorite events of the spring season.  It is easy to while away a day here and makes a perfect start to a girlfriend weekend.  Spend time shopping in Freeport, fine dining…and think of spring.

The 2012 Edition of Flavors of Freeport, Freeport, Maine's annual culinary winter festival, will take place on February 17-18, 2012.

The event kicks off, as usual, with the biggest event, the Chef's Signature Series, with chefs from area restaurants, cooks from our local Bed & Breakfasts (including Brewster House Bed & Breakfast!). There will also be tastings from local beverage merchants, and lots of food to sample.Tickets for that event are available online, or, if you stay at Brewster House, may be included with your stay (see below).

In addition to the Chef's Signature Series, there will also be an ice bar, featuring a martini luge, Freeport-oriented ice sculptures, and barbecue from Buck's Naked BBQ. Maine Foodie Tours is also doing a Freeport Chocolate Tour.

This year the organizing and marketing of the event has been taken over by FreeportUSA, who are promoting it exclusively through the Flavors of Freeport Facebook page. The Flavors of Freeport website still has photos from prior years, showing some of the activities and food that was presented.

Brewster House is offering a special package for the Flavors of Freeport weekend (February 17&18). If you stay one night, Friday, February 17, you'll receive two tickets for the Chef's Signature Series for the price of one. If you stay both Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18, you'll receive two tickets to the Chef's Signature Series at no charge. Advance reservations are required (so we can be sure to get the tickets!). Just let us know when you book that you want the Flavors of Freeport package!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast

The 2012 Edition of Flavors of Freeport, Freeport, Maine's annual culinary winter festival, will take place on February 17-18, 2012.

The event kicks off, as usual, with the biggest event, the Chef's Signature Series, with chefs from area restaurants, cooks from our local Bed & Breakfasts (including Brewster House Bed & Breakfast!). There will also be tastings from local beverage merchants, and lots of food to sample.Tickets for that event are available online, or, if you stay at Brewster House, may be included with your stay (see below).

In addition to the Chef's Signature Series, there will also be an ice bar, featuring a martini luge, Freeport-oriented ice sculptures, and barbecue from Buck's Naked BBQ. Maine Foodie Tours is also doing a Freeport Chocolate Tour.

This year the organizing and marketing of the event has been taken over by FreeportUSA, who are promoting it exclusively through the Flavors of Freeport Facebook page. The Flavors of Freeport website still has photos from prior years, showing some of the activities and food that was presented.

Brewster House is offering a special package for the Flavors of Freeport weekend (February 17&18). If you stay one night, Friday, February 17, you'll receive two tickets for the Chef's Signature Series for the price of one. If you stay both Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18, you'll receive two tickets to the Chef's Signature Series at no charge. Advance reservations are required (so we can be sure to get the tickets!). Just let us know when you book that you want the Flavors of Freeport package!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast

It's a little-known secret that a fair number of men are intimidated by (or even afraid of) Valentines Day, or other romantic occasions when they feel that they are supposed to "perform" by coming up with a special surprise that sparks romance in their relationship. We have just the thing to overcome that fear, and make you the hero you you know you want to be!

We won't hide anything here. There's no question that this includes a visit to Brewster House Bed & Breakfast in Freeport, Maine. Our Febuary is for Romance package (available the entire month of February) is just the ticket - a two night stay (you might try one of our fireplace rooms, if one is available), with a romantic dinner at Azure Cafe (a gift certificate is included in the package). By day there is shopping in over 160 Freeport outlets and shops (remember, this is for her! Besides, there are plenty of sports and other shops for men, including L.L. Bean's 5 stores, plus several others.), or schedule a massage (or a couples massage) in the privacy of your room at Brewster House.

Of course, your visit to Brewster House will include our fabulous hot gourmet breakfasts each morning, along with afternoon refreshments. Your package also includes a Maine welcome basket, with goodies for you to enjoy.

Oh, yes, and how do you go about doing this in a romantic way? First, book your visit to Brewster House, and be sure to let us know if you want to schedule a massage, add some flowers (roses are a nice touch!), or add something else. After that it is up to you, but we can tell you a story about one way to do it!

We know a man who took some time to plan. He booked the room at the B&B, but didn't tell his sweetheart. He secretly packed a bag with clothes for both of them for a couple of days, including toiletries, and all those other things people need. He went off to work as usual, then returned home an hour or so later, suggested his wife make some sandwiches, and took her for a drive (without telling her where she was going, of course). They drove along for a couple of hours, while the wife unsuccessfully tried to guess where they were going. Eventually they arrived at their destination, with the wife thrilled to think they would have a wonderful day trip. Near the end of the day, the wife commented that they would be getting home rather late, so the husband casually agreed, but then drove around to the B&B and asked the wife if she'd like to stay overnight. Of course she would, she said, but she didn't have her things with her. The husband smiled and went inside (actually to check in, but the wife thought he was just inquiring about rates). He returned with a key, and she again protested that she didn't have her clothes and things. He said, "That's what you think!" and produced the suitcase. Needless to say, it was a very romantic getaway.

Now we aren't suggesting you follow that example as a script, but if you're not sure what to do for Valentine's Day (or any other occasion that calls for a bit of romance), we thought that example might give you some ideas of your own.

Be creative (and romantic)!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast
Freeport, Maine

It's a little-known secret that a fair number of men are intimidated by (or even afraid of) Valentines Day, or other romantic occasions when they feel that they are supposed to "perform" by coming up with a special surprise that sparks romance in their relationship. We have just the thing to overcome that fear, and make you the hero you you know you want to be!

We won't hide anything here. There's no question that this includes a visit to Brewster House Bed & Breakfast in Freeport, Maine. Our Febuary is for Romance package (available the entire month of February) is just the ticket - a two night stay (you might try one of our fireplace rooms, if one is available), with a romantic dinner at Azure Cafe (a gift certificate is included in the package). By day there is shopping in over 160 Freeport outlets and shops (remember, this is for her! Besides, there are plenty of sports and other shops for men, including L.L. Bean's 5 stores, plus several others.), or schedule a massage (or a couples massage) in the privacy of your room at Brewster House.

Of course, your visit to Brewster House will include our fabulous hot gourmet breakfasts each morning, along with afternoon refreshments. Your package also includes a Maine welcome basket, with goodies for you to enjoy.

Oh, yes, and how do you go about doing this in a romantic way? First, book your visit to Brewster House, and be sure to let us know if you want to schedule a massage, add some flowers (roses are a nice touch!), or add something else. After that it is up to you, but we can tell you a story about one way to do it!

We know a man who took some time to plan. He booked the room at the B&B, but didn't tell his sweetheart. He secretly packed a bag with clothes for both of them for a couple of days, including toiletries, and all those other things people need. He went off to work as usual, then returned home an hour or so later, suggested his wife make some sandwiches, and took her for a drive (without telling her where she was going, of course). They drove along for a couple of hours, while the wife unsuccessfully tried to guess where they were going. Eventually they arrived at their destination, with the wife thrilled to think they would have a wonderful day trip. Near the end of the day, the wife commented that they would be getting home rather late, so the husband casually agreed, but then drove around to the B&B and asked the wife if she'd like to stay overnight. Of course she would, she said, but she didn't have her things with her. The husband smiled and went inside (actually to check in, but the wife thought he was just inquiring about rates). He returned with a key, and she again protested that she didn't have her clothes and things. He said, "That's what you think!" and produced the suitcase. Needless to say, it was a very romantic getaway.

Now we aren't suggesting you follow that example as a script, but if you're not sure what to do for Valentine's Day (or any other occasion that calls for a bit of romance), we thought that example might give you some ideas of your own.

Be creative (and romantic)!

Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast
Freeport, Maine

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main Street Freeport, Maine 04032Copyright White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

The good news; we received about six inches of beautiful powdery snow last Thursday.  The bad news; rain came on top of it.  The cold temperatures have been great for outdoor ice rinks.  The cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails now have some base.  Groomed trails, such as those at scenic Pineland Farms, are ready for those looking for an afternoon of outdoor fun and adventure.  Enjoy a few hours of cross-country skiing and fresh air.  Afterwards, enjoy the cafe at Pineland Farms for a warm cup of soup or hot chocolate.  A great way to spend a winter afternoon!

Well, there certainly is not much snow to enjoy this season however, the recent cold weather has enabled the town to open the rink for ice skating.  Just two blocks away from James Place Inn is the new skating rink. It was frozen over last week and is ready for skaters.  Head to Freeport and pack the snow shoes, cross-country skis and ice skates.  This way you are covered no matter what the weather brings.  And who knows?  The forecast for today is 3-5 inches of snow.  We’ll let you know what happens!

We need your help!

Our guests have been telling us for years that Ruth should publish a cookbook. We've decided that this is the year we want to do our best to make that happen, and we're looking for your suggestions on the recipes to include.

 If you've had a dish you really enjoyed here, whether a main course, starter, or even our cookies and other afternoon refreshments, or if you've seen us posting a comment on our breakfasts here, on Facebook, or Twitter, and would like us to include the recipe, please let us know!

 On our Facebook page we're asking our followers to vote for the recipes they would like to see included, or to suggest others that we didn't mention. If you're on Facebook, feel free to vote. Otherwise, please leave your votes in the comments below. We can't promise to include every recipe that is mentioned, and we do have some that may be new to our guests, but we'll be sure to see which are the most requested and try to get them into the book.

 We are hoping to have it available for purchase (both at the B&B and online) by late spring.

 Thanks for helping us make this cookbook something you'll really enjoy!

 Scott & Ruth

We need your help!

Our guests have been telling us for years that Ruth should publish a cookbook. We've decided that this is the year we want to do our best to make that happen, and we're looking for your suggestions on the recipes to include.

 If you've had a dish you really enjoyed here, whether a main course, starter, or even our cookies and other afternoon refreshments, or if you've seen us posting a comment on our breakfasts here, on Facebook, or Twitter, and would like us to include the recipe, please let us know!

 On our Facebook page we're asking our followers to vote for the recipes they would like to see included, or to suggest others that we didn't mention. If you're on Facebook, feel free to vote. Otherwise, please leave your votes in the comments below. We can't promise to include every recipe that is mentioned, and we do have some that may be new to our guests, but we'll be sure to see which are the most requested and try to get them into the book.

 We are hoping to have it available for purchase (both at the B&B and online) by late spring.

 Thanks for helping us make this cookbook something you'll really enjoy!

 Scott & Ruth