Flowers--At Alexander's--So Many Varieties and Colors

Luckily for our flower gardens --the monsoon season's finally moved on and our cold/wet weather is giving way to bona fide summertime sun-filled days. Our flowers are loving the chance to do-their-stuff and grow into full and lush colorful gems.
My Numero Uno favorite summer flower is the Primula Vialli--(top photo). Their flowers look like little bottle brushes; bright red and purple. They have such easy-going dispositions and put on quite a show, way into the middle of summer.
Another favorite is the lupine (bottom photo). She's a same-time-next-year kind of gal. Huge masses of gorgeous purple flowers atop her bright green foliage. If I had to associate just one flower with Mount Rainier, it'd be the lupine. You'll find her all along the road to Rainier and then her tiny cousins blanket the higher elevations. Magnificent!
 I'll be posting more flower photos as the gardens fill out.

Alexander's Restaurant's Summer 2010 Menu

Summer is here and so is our new menu. Some of our old favorites; trout, blackberry pie, strawberry shortcake make their annual comeback. Alexander's offers casual dining, moderate prices and friendly, professional service. Stop by on your way to the top!

Stay tuned for our updated beer and wine menus!

Alexander's Restaurant Summer 2010 menu

Wedding Countdown...24 hours to go

Last minute shopping for wedding flowers is a challenge. There wasn't enough time to special order the flowers for this weekend's wedding but after stopping at every flower vendor I know,
I think we'll have some gorgeous arrangements.

It's so fun to see  flowers evolve from bunches tied up in cellophane and newspaper to--elegant and romantic bouquets, boutonnieres and table arrangements.

 Here's some of the stock I'm working with.

Want a wedding next week? No problem!

 

Most of our weddings are booked six months to a year in advance. Every once in awhile, we get a request for a "fast-track" wedding--with just a couple of months to put it all together. Last Saturday, I met with a couple who asked if we could host their wedding (50 guests) next Saturday! My answer: Sure! I can do that!
  

Seven days to coordinate the whole event. Here's the check list.

Flowers: 
Bride's bouquet, corsages, table flowers, flowers for the mantle and the wedding cake. Not enough time to order at the wholesale florist so I have to check out every fresh flower vendor.
Supermarkets, Costco, Farmer's Market (hope it's not raining tomorrow when I hit the Farmer's Market!) Flower shopping takes lots of time!

 

Wedding Cake:
Two tiered. Top tier: Chocolate with Bavarian cream filling. Bottom layer: White with raspberry filling. Luckily, the bakery agreed to fast-track the cake so I can pick it up on Friday morning.

Table Linens:
Laundered, starched, pressed and ready to go.

Champagne, Wine & Beer: 

  Have to special order the bride's favorite Champagne. Meeting the wine sales guy in Tacoma. 

Hors' d Oeuvres:
   Will be served after the ceremony. Lots of colorful foods including fresh fruit and veggies, antipasto platter, imported cheeses and crackers, gourmet pizza-nibbles, for the kids.

Staffing:
 Bring on extra staff to work the wedding. Hmmm...several key staffers are taking their spring break next weekend.

Stay tuned...we have 2+ days to pull it all together!

PS The wedding was a huge success! Everything went off as if we had planned months in advance. The bride & groom are thrilled and the guests had a great time.

Spring is in the air...

It's spring and Western Washington is putting on a spectacular flower show.
Alexander's is at 1,800 ' elevation so our flower season is a few weeks behind the lower elevations. But--from Puget Sound to Mount Rainier--yards, gardens and forests are full of vibrant color.

This Isn't Your Parent's Wedding

In today's economy, most couples are pretty conscientious about the costs of putting on a  wedding.
The expenses, from the invitations to the wedding dress and tuxedo to the ceremony, flowers, photographer reception and even the honeymoon, can add up in a New York minute.

As the wedding planner for Alexander's, I encourage our wedding couples to enjoy the process of planning their wedding. I reassure them they can have a lovely and memorable wedding without going into debt for it. By planning ahead, agreeing to a budget and then sticking to it the bride and groom can avoid a huge amount of stress.  After all, the whole planning process--sending out the invites, picking out the venue, deciding on the flowers, etc., --should be fun and enjoyable.

If  parents offer to help pay for the wedding ---the wedding couple should be on the same page with each other agree to key points such as:
Who is paying for what?
Will they--the bride and groom-- be in control of the guest list, budget, menu, etc. or will they turn some of the tasks over to family?

If parents help pay for the wedding, will there be strings attached?  

Will the bride and groom still have the freedom to create their dream wedding?
  
Sharing the costs with parents can be a wonderful and positive experience for all. And, in today's economy, everyone understands most young couples could use a little help.

For more on weddings and sharing costs, check out this NYT article on the subject. 

NYT article re: Who's paying for the wedding 

Fine Feathered Friends

This week, winter decided to hang around--although everyone is ready warmer weather. Even so, our summer bird-friends are back and a joy to watch. I love that I can take a lunch break by the bird feeders and within five minutes see a lovely variety of winged creatures swooping in for a snack. This week we're feeding red winged blackbirds, hummers, blue jay, evening grosbeak, juncos, thrasher, robins and more.

For information about birds of Western Washington, check out the link to the Tahoma Audubon Society. http://www.tahomaaudubon.org/

Weddings & Flowers

   I love creating fresh flower arrangements for our wedding couples.
After many years growing lots and lots of flowers, I have a pretty good working relationship with these jewels of nature.
    It's so rewarding to start with a couple of buckets of fresh flowers, rolls of ribbon and a collection of vases--and end up with gorgeous creations; bride's bouquets, boutonnieres, table flowers and, of course, an elegant arrangement for the bridal suite. I always thank the flowers--couldn't do it without them.
    Shopping for flowers is fun too. During the winter I rely on wholesale florists but the rest of the year--I shop at farmer's markets, local nurseries and my flower gardens provide lots of beauties--from lilies to roses to sunflowers. All colorful and healthy and happy to be part of a big day.

Contest for the Best NW Bed & Breakfasts

Alexander's is honored and excited to be nominated for the
2010 Western Washington Best B & B Award. 

There are only three days left in the contest so if you want to vote--click on the title-- and cast your vote for Alexander's.

Thank you for the nomination and for your vote!

Elopements: Lovely & Intimate Weddings

At Alexander's, we host quite a few elopements and the ceremonies and celebrations are as meaningful and heart-felt as our large-scale weddings.

 Couples who decide to elope do so for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons may include:

Military--The bride or the groom (or both) may be in the military and are preparing to ship out.

Economic --We've had couples who saved the money they would have spent on a big wedding and put it toward extended and exotic travels.

Second Weddings--Some couples want the second wedding to be smaller-scale and quieter than the first-go-round.

Timing-- Like so many other people these days, the bride and groom may feel they don't have the time and energy to put into planning and organizing a traditional wedding.

Away from family---If parents/grandparents can't travel, some couples opt to elope and then have a reception later when the families can get together.

Baby-on-Board--Some couples are expecting a new member of their family and want to tie the knot before Baby arrives.

I love how every elopement is so different! Some couples wear just their everyday clothes while other couples go all-out... she wears a traditional white gown and he's in a tuxedo. Some couples give me their digital camera and ask me to take photos of their ceremony --while another couple will have a professional photographer, or two. Some couples don't invite any friends or family (that's when my staff and I get to stand-in as witnesses) and other couples want to invite twenty or thirty of their closest friends and relatives (that's when I have to tell them--that's not an elopement-- that's a small wedding).

We love hosting elopements and Alexander's has been included in several articles about the best places to elope. You can read one of the articles here:

Travel Muse article says Alexander's is one of the top 10 Best Places to Elope

Weddings & Wedding Cakes

As a wedding planner, I love assisting our wedding couples with every aspect of their special day.

Each wedding at Alexander's is unique but they all have one thing in common, the wedding cake/dessert.

Our brides and grooms ask for all kinds of cakes--from the very traditional white-on-white cake to a red velvet with chocolate frosting to a towering blue fondant. I love that wedding cakes are becoming an art-form and just about anything is possible and I encourage our wedding couples to go for it.

Some wedding couples use their parents or grandparent's cake topper, continuing a sentimental family tradition.

The history of wedding cakes is fascinating and goes back hundreds of years. To read about it, follow the link to an article in the Smithsonian magazine.

     Smithsonian magazine History of the Wedding Cake

Welcome back, hummers!

Our hummingbirds are back! They are so amazing --  those little guys traveling that long journey from South America all the way to Mount Rainier. 

We hang the feeders out on St. Patrick's Day--just in case they're a little ahead of their usual ETA.  They aren't picky about the feeders--and we have several quart-sized feeders by the hot tub and the pond--their favorite spot. In the front yard flower garden, we have a  Ballet Hummingbird feeder which is part-yard art and part-hummingbird feeder. I like the way it moves with a breeze--like a kinetic sculpture.

If you haven't seen it yet--you'll want to check out the PBS special on Nature. Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air. Fantastic photography and lots of information about our tiny feathered friends.
PBS Show: Nature, Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air

Weddings & Elopements at Alexander's Country Inn

We host quite a few weddings and elopements at Alexander's.
Each wedding--from the intimate elopement to the big multi-day event--is special in its own unique way.

I'll be sharing stories and moments of our weddings in the next few posts. In the meantime, you can check-out more of our photos by clicking here:Alexander's wedding photo gallery

And, by the way, if you have any questions about Alexander's wedding services...let me know and I'll be sure to answer you.

Shopping for Beautiful Things For Alexander's Gift Shop

The first of April is just around the corner --and it's like the starting gun of the beginning of the busy season at Alexander's. Top on my to-do list is to find more beautiful things for the gift shop. I'm re-ordering our must-haves such as Puyallup Valley Jams and Syrups (who ever thought so much flavor could be packed into a small glass jar), Beth Scott pottery and dinnerware depicting Northwest wildlife, and eco-friendly toys for our wee-guests.
My rule of thumb, when selecting merchandise for the gift shop, is it has to get a "Wow! I love that!"response. I look for things that are fun, creative, artistic, unusual but useful --and whenever possible, easy for our guests to  pack. Secondly, I have to 'click' with the artist or craftsperson. I've established wonderful working relationships with many of the artisans we represent. For example, a couple of times during the summer I drive out to the Puyallup Valley to buy cases of Marionberry, blackberry and raspberry jams and syrups from Carol Moon, the owner of Puyallup Jam Factory. She's so friendly and always takes time to visit. Another artist, John McCuistion, opens his ceramic studio in Tacoma to me and let's me pick and choose from his many wonderful pieces. Then there's Beth Scott. 
She's a ceramic artist from Seattle. A few years ago, she came to Alexander's to deliver our first big purchase of plates, platters and bowls. Since then, her husband, John --who just happens to be a Mount Rainier tour bus driver--drops off new shipments on his way up to the Mountain.
Another special artist I have to mention is Angela Maria Isaza. That we ever found each other is a story in itself. Here's the story. I love textile arts and I also love gardening so whenever I travel, I always visit the local museums and botanical gardens. A short time ago, Jerry and I were vacationing in Sarasota, Florida and spent a day at the beautiful Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. In the visitors center they had an exhibit of Angela Maria Isaza's "Garden Botanicos. " The batiks were very large and colorful...many of orchids and other tropical flowers. Angela lives and works in Bogota, Colombia. I fell in love with her work. When we returned home, I found Angela on the Internet and e-mailed her. She wrote back the same day--very excited to hear from me and to tell me that Mount Rainier just happens to be her most favorite place of all! She sent me four of her batiks--one is a stunning piece of Mount Rainier's wildflowers. (See photo)
I hope that some day Angela and I can meet in person.
One of our better-known artist's is Art Wolfe. Our guests love Art's stunning nature and wildlife photography and take home some of his notecards, one of his books or a framed limited edition photograph of Mount Rainier. Art is so thoughtful--he's actually delivered some of his framed photographs and even helped hang them in the gift shop. His photographs are breathtaking--and our guests love just gazing at them.

I really enjoy working with artists from around the Pacific Northwest--and our guests appreciate the unique quality--knowing they can take home a piece of the PNW as a memento of their vacation. But, I'm also pretty inclusive and love finding unique merchandise from around the world. From Novica, I buy jewelry, gorgeous wood sculptures and ceramic vases. Each piece comes with a personalized card from the artist. Novica, along with National Geographic, promotes fair trade practices when working with crafts people in third world countries.

This past winter I discovered a couple of new (for us, anyway) artists and I'm excited to bring their work into the gift shop for all to enjoy. One of our new artists, Marijke Janssens, lives in Belgium. She creates fun and colorful note cards with old Baroque illustrations. They are light-hearted and just delightful. I know our guests will just fall in love with her whimsical cards!

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe. A much-loved favorite at Alexander's Restaurant

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Second only to our blackberry pie,
strawberry shortcake is
wildly popular with our guests.
We make our shortcakes from scratch but the
following recipe fits the bill when you want a
delicious dessert without a lot of fuss and muss.

Serves 6 to 8.

Oven: 425

Ingredients.
3 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar

For the Biscuits:
2 1/3 Bisquick mix
1/2 cup of half & half
3 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs butter melted
Zest of one orange (optional)

Vanilla ice cream
Chocolate Syrup
Whipped Cream
Fresh mint leaves, when available. For garnish.

Slice strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. Set aside.

Mix Bisquick, milk, 3 Tbs sugar, butter, orange zest. Form into a ball.On lightly dusted surface, roll the dough out to about 1/2" thickness. Cut-out into 6 to 8 circles.Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in 425 oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.Cool.Split shortcakes in half, length-wise.

On dessert plates, drizzle chocolate syrup. Feel free to get artsy.
Place a bottom half of shortcake on each plate.
Put a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on the shortcake.
Place top of shortcake on the ice cream and gently press down.
Spoon strawberries over shortcake.
Top off with a dollop of whipped cream on top and around the plate perimeter.
Place a slice of strawberry on top of shortcake tower.
(Chocolate lovers: Top off your creation with a final chocolate-syrup-touch.)
Garnish your creations with a sprig of fresh mint.
Note: For a chocolate-twist, add 3 Tbs of cocoa to the Bisquick ingredients.

Enjoy.

Alexander's Restaurant

My Favorite Cookbooks

I love books and have a special place in my heart--and kitchen--for cookbooks. Since we re-opened the inn in 1984--I've been baking breakfast pastries for our hotel guests. With the help of our kitchen staff, I've turned out, oh, about a zillion muffins, 27 million coffee cakes and enough biscuits to stretch from here to the Southern States. Some of my long-time favorite baking cookbooks have clocked in 20+ years of service, they are so dog-eared and splattered, it's almost embarrassing...but they're like old-friends...always there for me.

My absolute favorite baking cookbook author is Beth Hensperger. Her book Bread is as good as it gets. (My copy lost its spine a few years back--the batter-splattered pages are loose and held together with big paperclips. It looks abused but it's really just well-loved!) Bread (Chronicle Books) is full of easy-to-follow recipes for breads and pastries, such as Vanilla Coffeecake--a moist layered coffee cake baked in a Bundt pan--and a chocolate bread, a thick-crusted bread sprinkled with bits of dark chocolate. Hensperger includes interesting information about a recipe's origin as well as suggestions for spreads for the breads. Her berry-butter concoction is a favorite with our guests. Hensperger has several other cookbooks including The Art of Quick Bread--all with smart recipes that can be doubled and all of her breads freeze well. If you can't find her cookbooks at your local bookstore or on Amazon, try your library or a used bookstore.

Bert Greene's Greene on Greens (Workman Publishing) is full of delicious recipes all of which use some form of fresh veggies. (The recipes are not however low-fat health conscious, Greene is liberal with his use of cream, oil, and butter but the flavors are robust and just may be worth cheating on your diet for.) Every summer when we're harvesting what seems like tons of zucchini---I turn to page 403 and knock out a couple of batches of Eleanor Tobin's Mother's Zucchini Muffin Gems. The combined flavors of zucchini, grated nutmeg and pecans make for a sensational muffin that can easily be called up for a dinner-time dessert --say, with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. The Sweet Red Pepper Cornbread and Hungarian Fennel breads are unique and sure crowd-pleasers.

A Julia Child cookbook--or two-- is an essential tool to have in any kitchen. Like measuring cups, sharp knives, and a mixer---Julia's wisdom is a must-have. I have several of Julia Child's cookbooks. Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan (William Morrow Books) is an excellent cookbook for both the beginner baker and for those of us with some baking experience. Child's recipes for Berry Galette and Savarin are quite simple to follow; flavorful and pretty to serve. The Gingerbread Baby Cakes are a favorite with Alexander's guests. Topped with whipped cream and maybe a fresh lemon glaze...what a way to start a day. Getting off the subject of pastries for just a moment, Julia's Torte Milanese is a gorgeous torte with layers of spinach, cheese, ham and tomato. It requires some pre-planning and concentration but well worth the effort-- especially for a special occasion brunch.


I'm an NPR-addict and I love listening to Lynn Rossetto Kasper's radio program, The Splendid Table. Her book, The Italian Country Table (Scribner) is an intriguing blend of travel writing and old-family recipes from Italy. (While The Italian Country Table isn't a baking cookbook per se it's still one of my top five favorite cookbooks. Although, I do wish the book had photographs of the food--I like to see the end-product before I start.) I've made just about every recipe in the book and each one is a winner. Kasper's Apple Cake with a Crackly Meringue is very easy to put together and everyone loves it. The meringue makes for a crunchy topping and, with the moist apple cake, it's a combination made in heaven. This cake lasts well for several days.

I have a recipe file filled with Alexander's tried-and-true best breakfast pastry recipes. I'll be sharing them sometime soon but, for now, the kitchen is calling. Bon Appetite!

An Invitation to Our Guests. Share Your Memories of Your Visit to Alexander's.

During the past 30+ years, it's been my pleasure to host many guests--some from nearby Seattle or Tacoma --others from such faraway places as Europe, India and Japan. We're so lucky to meet so many friendly and interesting people. Some of our guests stop by just for dinner while others stay for a week or more. If you've stayed at Alexander's and have some memories you'd like to share...please feel free to post your thoughts on this blog. I'd love to hear from you.