The two of us just finished our first whole week of vacation in a long time. The first part of our vacation was spent in Little Rock at the Professional Association of International Innkeepers. Our first evening in town, we spend on the first floor of the hotel in the middle of a tornado watch drinking port. The next few days we proceeded to find out where to find artisanal coffee and gluten free dining options. On day 5, Duke and I fell down 16 wet metal steps on our backs. Duke felt relief for the hotel hot tub and by Saturday, I needed urgent care. The urgent care doc said just a contusion and back spasms. The last two days we spent inJoplin with our children and grand children and saw their new house rising out of the red soil. Wonderful!

Now that we are back home, we feel in order to get vacations just right, we’ll need to schedule more of these.

Filed under: Innkeepers

I feel like I do just before a wedding or a baby blessing. That’s because I am so excited to be part of the 2012Madisonwedding Show. So butterflies be there if you must but fly in formation. Every year 4500 people, 1500 of them brides attend the show. This will be our first show of this size. So its do we have enough brochures and price lists? Do we have enough business cards? How do we attract brides to our booth? Will they like our business enough to make an appointment to learn more?

As a trial run, Hanson House Weddings participated in the Whitewater Wedding Show last fall. Whitewater is a smaller show attended by about 200 people and 50 brides. We worked with Brent Z from Rowe Pottery in Cambridge to design a booth that was inviting and will be using the same design at the 2012 show: A garden gate, a small tea table with chairs draped in a white table cloth dressed with a lace floral topper, dried rose and mauve hydrangeas from the yard, 4 distressed urns, and two pub height Victorian tables.

Come see us in booth #725.

Filed under: Weddings

As many of our guests have remarked, we make a very good breakfast.  We also can accommodate virtually all special needs when it comes to our guests food.  We especially are Gluten Free/Breakfast experts.  We are because Mary Jane has an intolerance to Gluten.

We can can do this, and accommodate our guests, we thought others could too.  We also thought with almost 10% of the population having this issue, that getting a meals on the road would be easier.

Sadly, that is not the case in Little Rock Arkansas!  We’re at a conference at the Peabody Hotel here in downtown Little Rock, if MJ would like something for breakfast, its fruit.  No other choice.  Lunch, nothing anywhere nearby, can have the usual stand by – salad.  Or, you could hope that a burger, without bun will not be contaminated.

We really now know why people that are having good issues, are so thankful when they get a great breakfast at the Hanson House!

Filed under: Food

It has become a Hanson House Christmas tradition after the guests are fed to turn our kitchen into a test kitchen. We have fondly named the tradition, Grade the Grub. In the months before Christmas we each pick 2-4 recipes we feel would make tasty breakfast options. Each recipe is tested for ease in preparation, local availability of ingredients; interest to our guests; eye candy appeal; aroma; and taste.

Duke generally picks entrée items and I look for beautiful starter and homemade baked options. Both can be challenging when one of us is on a serious diet and the other is gluten-free.

So this year we tested a fall fruit plate for two with cinnamon-sugared pecan halves; monkey bread pudding (regular and gluten-free); almond torte; gluten-free pie crust; chive and onion potato bake; chive and onion creamy potato latkes; and muddled potatoes. The regular monkey bread pudding is amazing, but the gluten-free version is not up to par. Almond torte is going back to R&D. Needed to freeze the GF pie crust because we ran out of time and room in our tummies. The muddled potatoes are too ordinary. The chive and onion potato needed a bit something. So we turned them into latkes, added salt and pan-fried with olive oil. OMG! Delish! In addition, the fall fruit plate was spectacular and we enjoyed dipping the fruit in the Strawberry Cream. Yes, we have two winners! You’ll be seeing them at our B&B soon.

Have a great new year!

Filed under: Food, Uncategorized

We are always learning from guests. Recently, we learned of a wonderful tradition.  But first, a little background.

A year ago, a couple decided to get married at the inn.  Since we offer services for small weddings, we were able to do that.   This wedding was very small, in fact, it was only the bride and groom.  In Wisconsin, there needs there needs to be two witnesses. Mary Jane was doing the officiant services, and could not be a witness.

This particular weekend, we knew a wonderful couple was coming to stay because it was their anniversary.  We asked them if they’d like to be witnesses, and the were more than happy to.  The two couples hit it off, and agreed that they catch up a year later, on both of their anniversaries the following year.

A week ago was the anniversary weekend.  They all had breakfast together in our dining room, and were catching up.  Since we knew it was a special breakfast, Mary Jane put a small candle in each of their sweet ending course.

The couple that had been maried the longest then took off their wedding rings, placed them over one of the candles and then made their wish and blew out the candle!

No one had every heard of that, or seen that before.  In fact, before I started writing this blog, I did a search, and nothing came up.  It was something they saw years before and thought it was a wonderful little touch to add to their wishes, and their marriage.

We are always learning from our guests, and this time it was about this wonderful tradition.

Filed under: Uncategorized

DINNER THEATER

December 3, 2011 at 6 PM at the Keystone Grill
Cambridge Heritage Day Committee presents
an RG production radio play, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

6:00 PM – Cocktails
6:30 PM – Dinner Buffet
7:15 PM – It’s a Wonderful Life
8:15 PM – Program concludes

Stay for a meet-n-greet with the actors.

All Tickets: $24.99/each

Proceeds benefit 2012 Cambridge Heritage Day.
For tickets contact the Keystone Grill at 608-423-3730
or by e-mail at manager@thekeystonegrill.com

Filed under: Uncategorized

10am to 5pm
lots of specials and pampering
from Salon & Spa treatments to Martini specials and meal deals,
with everything catering to women.

Have fun with the Divas!

Filed under: Uncategorized

DINNER THEATER

We All Die Sooner or Lederhosen

 By Chicken Boy Productions

Directed by JeannieThomas

An Interactive Comedic Dinner Theatre Experience

The Tanzenfische Brewery is hosting an Octoberfest Party and introducing their new fall brew at their brewery in Cambridge WI. However there is trouble brewing.

Gertie, the owner, is broke and unhappily married.

Could she be looking for a new, rich husband?

What about her current husband?

Does he want the brewery?

What about Gertie’s daughters and her wacky sister?

And what is with that tall, mysterious woman?!

Could foul play be afoot??

Can YOU solve the crime?

Join us for an evening of laughter, mystery and murder!!

Produced by Chicken Boy Productions at The Keystone Grill, 206 West Main Street, Cambridge WI

November 12, 2011 – Mingling begins at 6:30, show starts at 7pm

Ticket Prices: Dinner & show $22.50 (plus tax). Cash bar.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Guests this Sunday were treated to MJ’s apple strudel.

Years ago when my mom was alive and MJ’s grandmother was alive, Mary spent time with each of them learning this old world craft.

Using everything she learned plus picking up other tips, she has now made it her own. And, it’s wonderful!

When staying at the Hanson House, you might be able to enjoy this treat too. Mention that you would like to sample this treat when booking, and I’ll see what I can do to make that happen, I know the cook.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Wedding Planning September 10, 2011 (9/10/11)

We met one of the most compatible couples yesterday planning their wedding for 9/10/11.

They met when they were in grade school and lived next door to each other. When her dad was transferred to the East Coast, the two of them kept in touch. It was 8 years before they saw each other again. In between, both remarked that while they dated other people no one completed them like each other. He came to see her and the tears welled up in her eyes and his joy was uncontrollable. “I shook like a puppy.”

A month later, she had packed up her apartment and drove 16 hours alone to be with him. “It took lots of Mountain Dew and other of energy drinks to get me here.” A year later, they went to a nearby state park and amongst the fall leaves and intoxicating vistas, he got down on his knee and proposed.

Love is grand

We met this wonderful couple while they planned on having their wedding at the our Inn.  We very much look forward to this event.

Filed under: Uncategorized