View from the Innside

the disappearing office

Here's a photo of our office, which is being transformed to an extension of the dining room. Take a good look--you're one of the few people who have ever seen the inside of our office, and it's never been this neat before.  We have an office downstairs and have decided to expand the dining room at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town by combining the two offices into one.

The challenge has been to take all those things that currently reside in the office--phone, computer, music system, wireless router, printer, etc.--and figure out where to relocate all that stuff.  We're nearly done with that.

The desk has been sold.  The tables and chairs we ordered from Kay's Stools and Dinettes have arrived and are being held until we're ready for them.  (Great people to work with!)  New table linens have been ordered.  The whole area has been scrubbed and we're re-painting.  The gate and curtains will stay up until that's finished, to keep the work-in-progress out of sight.

Stay tuned for photos of the new dining room expansion!

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

Enjoy a holiday high tea at the Bottger Mansion

Bring your group of 8 to 16 people to a holiday high tea at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town bed & breakfast in Albuquerque.  Bring your book club, church group, family, friends or business associates.

We're all decorated for the holidays, so it's a perfect time to enjoy a full meal and exchange your Secret Santa gifts.

Our high tea is a full three-course lunch beginning with soup, followed by an entree and salad, and completed by a sampler plate of three desserts, all accompanied by flavorful teas from the New Mexico Tea Company.  (See a sample menu list below.

Teas begin at noon and last until around 2:00 p.m., to accommodate our other guests.  Some slight flexibility in the schedule may be requested.

Teas may be reserved in advance for groups of 8 to 16 people.  The cost is $25 per person and includes tax and gratuity.  Parking is available in the public parking lot across the street.  Please note that our historic home is not handicap accessible (6 steps up to the front door).

Call 505-243-3639 to schedule this special holiday event for your group.

Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast, 110 San Felipe Street NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104

Sample menu:  Tomato-orange soup; goat cheese and leek quiche accompanied by cranberry-apple salad with spiced pecans; three-berry crisp, creme brulee spoons, gingerbread Christmas cookies.  We can accommodate food allergies or dietary restrictions for anyone in your group with advance notice.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Pumpkin flan--easy Thanksgiving dessert

This is from the November 2010 issue of Woman's Day Magazine that someone left at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town.  This has to be the easiest recipe ever.  If you're going to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner and want to take something different than pumpkin pie, this is easy to make well ahead of time.  No baking!  (Confession:  I've made this three times already.  We're big pumpkin pie fans.)

Pumpkin-vanilla flan 

(click here for a printer-friendly pdf file)

1 box (3 oz.) flan with caramel sauce mix (Jello or Royal brand)
1 cup pumpkin pie mix from a can (not 100% pumpkin puree--you need the spices)
1 cup French vanilla coffee creamer (or just use milk)

Place four 6-oz custard cups or ramekins on a tray.  Follow the directions on the flan box, substituting 1 cup of the pumpkin pie mix and 1 cup vanilla creamer (or milk) for the 2 cups of milk.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  To unmold, run a small metal spatula or knife around the edge of each flan, top with a serving plate, hold them together and flip over to invert.  Shake gently to loosen, then lift off cups.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Absolutely Neon Art Gallery & Studio on Route 66 in Albuquerque

Several weeks ago we were driving west on Central Avenue--Route 66--in Albuquerque, and we passed the Absolutely Neon Art Gallery & Studio.   I had never noticed it before. Today we had lunch nearby and decided to stop in.

The building is very deep, so the gallery is in the front of the store and Robert's studio is in the back. There's a wide range of pieces from the very small to the very large, and everything from a small Route 66 sign and a "hotel" sign (which I covet) to a large piece with three fish in a row, clocks, a billiard table, and the classic beer and bar signs.  As with everything art, you can have pretty much anything you want done in neon.

Robert does a great deal of commission work, so if there's something special you've been seeking, he's the guy.  And it's a fun place just to go in and look.  The tables and walls are covered with neon art, photos, sketches and albums full of his work.

We had thought about getting a small neon piece for the wall of the sitting room in our Route 66 Suite.  We're still working on repainting and decorating, and I will definitely keep that in mind.  It's the one room in our B&B where guests walk in and say, "what a fun room!"

Absolutely Neon
3903 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
(505) 265-6366
www.absolutelyneon.com

 

 

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

Murphy's Mule Barn restaurant in Albuquerque

Several weeks ago we had the rare opportunity to have breakfast out and decided to try Murphy's Mule Barn up in the north valley.  

If you grew up in a rural town, it has that same feeling.  Nothing fancy, but the food and service were good.  It has pretty much the standard breakfast menu--eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc.  I had a craving for biscuits and gravy.

What I especially enjoyed was watching the "locals."  One might think that we're locals, since we live in Albuquerque, but there was interaction among a number of the customers that suggested these folks lived very close by and came there all the time, making us the "outsiders."  You know, when you walk in and people look at you because they've seen everyone else there except you.  There was a table of about eight men and a boy about 10 years old, obviously joining his father in having breakfast with the guys.  Some people are fortunate to have a group of good friends and can have a meal together every week.  

I wouldn't say it was an exceptional place, yet it was comforting.  It's a piece of Americana that's rapidly becoming lost among the chain restaurants.  It's the kind of place where if you go often, everybody knows your name.

Murphy's Mule Barn
9700 Second Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87114

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
Albuquerque, New Mexico
www.bottger.com

 

 

 

going to Silver City for the NMBBA meeting

Finally, time for a short road trip!  We get to go to Silver City for the New Mexico Bed & Breakfast Association meeting.

As you can see, Silver City is a long way from here.  It's down in the southern part of the state, close to the Arizona border.  Did you know that New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the U.S.? I hope to have a little time to see the town and learn about its history.

In all the years we've lived in New Mexico and visited family when we weren't living here, neither of us has ever been to Silver City, so we're looking forward to it.

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico   87104
www.bottger.com

best deal on books EVER--Albuquerque Public Library used book sale (Nov. 13th)

I finally discovered the used book store in the basement of the Main Library in Albuquerque.  Recently, I bought about 10 books for a grand total of $7.50.  

As I was paying for the books, the man working there told me that they have a big sale every month. There's one coming up on Saturday, November 13th, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Here's the description from the website:

Looking for great prices on gently used books, CDs, records, cassette tapes, etc.?  The Friends monthly sales offer approximately 15,000 items for sale at reasonable prices.  Paperbacks are just 25 cents each and hardbacks are 50 cents and up.  Admission:  $1 (10 am - 1 pm); FREE after 1 pm.  Children and members FREE all day. Main Library Community Meeting Room.  For more information visit the Friends for the Public Library website at www.friendsforthelibrary.org.  

I find it amazing that this is so popular they actually charge admission, and the man told me the line is out the door and down the street.  And if you're looking for an even better deal, their semi-annual $3-a-bag Sunday Clearance Sale will be held November 14th, noon to 4 pm (free admission).

 

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Bodies The Exhibition in Albuquerque through January 9th

Last night we attended the monthly business exchange of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau held at the Albuquerque Convention Center.  Part of the evening's activities was admission to Bodies The Exhibition, which is open in Albuquerque through January 9th.  Here's a excerpt from the website:

"Celebrate the wonder of the human form

"BODIES…The Exhibition provides an intimate and informative view into the human body. Using an innovative preservation process, the Exhibition allows you to see and celebrate your body’s inner beauty in ways you never dreamed possible. Over 200 actual human bodies and specimens, meticulously dissected and respectfully displayed, offer an unprecedented and wholly unique look into your amazing body. Come explore, experience and celebrate the wonder of the human form."

I wasn't certain I wanted to see this exhibition.  I'm not normally very squeamish.  My favorite television show is NCIS, which can depict some fairly gruesome crime scenes.  However, I wasn't certain what my reaction would be to actual bodies.

It was tasteful, even artful.  One of the most beautiful displays was that of the system of airways and alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs, backlit and suspended in a glass case.  Most of the exhibit centered around the various systems of the human body--bones, organs, muscles, tendons, circulatory system, respiratory system--and how they work.  Interspersed were displays of diseased tissues with explanations of their causes.  What does the liver look like in a person with cirrhosis?  Heart damage?  What does the mechanism for a hip replacement look like?  Between the displays of healthy lungs and lungs full of cancer was a large box for the disposal of cigarettes from people who decided to quit smoking that instant. 

Even the music played throughout the exhibit was serene, meant for contemplation and reflection.  I left with new respect for the complexity and magnificence of the human body and its abilty and determination to heal itself and survive in spite of injuries and self-imposed abuses.

Go see Bodies the Exhibition.  Add a little wonder to your life.

Bodies the Exhibition   

When:  Sunday-Thursday:  10 am-8 pm.  Friday & Saturday:  10 am-10 pm. 

Where:  Albuquerque Convention Center, Northwest Exhibition Hall, 401 2^nd Street NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Pancakes with Ginger Butter

These are so satisfying and easy to make.  If you make the Candied Ginger Butter ahead of time, it has more time for the flavors to blend (and one less step while you're making the pancakes).  See my notes and tips below the recipe.

Pumpkin-Ginger Pancakes with Ginger Butter

from Sunset Magazine, 2008

makes 14 3-inch pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt or sour cream
2 T. butter, melted
Candied Ginger Butter (recipe follows), softened
maple syrup

        Place a nonstick griddle or 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat (350F); when hot, coat lightly will butter and adjust heat to maintain temperature. 

        In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  In another bowl, mix egg, milk, pumpkin, yogurt (or sour cream) and butter until well blended.  Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened.

    Spoon batter (use a #24 scoop) onto griddle and gently spread into 3-inch rounds.  Cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, 2-3 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other side, 2-3 minutes longer.  As pancakes are cooked, transfer to baking sheets and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.  Serve warm with candied ginger butter and maple syrup.  (I put a small scoop of Ginger Butter on the pancakes as soon as they’re on the plate so the butter begins to melt.)

Candied Ginger Butter:  In a bowl, with a wooden spoon, stir 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied (crystallized) ginger into 1/4 cup softened butter.  Chill until firm before serving.  Makes about 1/4 cup.  (Serve butter softened so it melts on the pancakes.)

Kathy’s notes:  I like smaller pancakes.  I used a #24 scoop (about 1/4 cup), and this makes 14 3-inch pancakes.  I put the candied ginger in a spice grinder (hand-held coffee grinder) and chopped it up until it became mostly a paste.  Put the ginger paste into a small bowl, add the butter and mix some more.  At the end I had to mash it together with a fork to make sure it was well mixed.  This is better made ahead to blend the flavors.  Also, even though it says to served it chilled until firm, I prefer to serve it softened (take out ahead of time and serve at room temperature) so it melts easily on the pancakes.  I use a very small (#70) portion scoop (like a melon-baller scoop) for the ginger butter.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com