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Wander: Rio, Family Style

Last month we embarked on our first international family adventure to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yes, the beach destination best known for barely-there swimwear, steamy Carnival festivities and dance-until-dawn-nightlife scene. Probably not top of mind for a family vacation. However, the upcoming host of both the World Cup 2014 and Olympics 2016 has been building up infrastructure, working to drop crime rates and generally ensure that the city is safer for all visitors.

I was less concerned about crime and more wrapped up in the logistics: visas, passports, making copies of our son’s birth certificate, and checking with our pediatrician about additional vaccines (none required since we weren’t venturing into the jungle). And, while the 10-hour plus flight felt imposing with a toddler (could I possibly pack enough snacks?), the time change (two hours ahead) was reasonable, making this destination seem possible for our experiment in family travel.

This possibility became a reality when we checked in for our TAM Airlines flight, and passed through the looking glass into the magical realm of Brazilian hospitality towards families. As the priority boarding announcement for passengers with disabilities and families was made we listened passively. These announcements seem perfunctory on domestic flights, and go largely ignored. The Brazilians however take this stuff seriously, and all but pushed us to the front of the line. The flight attendants cooed and fawned over our son. And during our trip a flight attendant was bouncing a toddler up and down the aisles as if it were just a routine part of his job.

The Brazilians, it turns out, are crazy for kids. There are priority lines for families at sightseeing spots and airports. And people stopped to engage our son, everywhere––from a doorman frantically waving to get Soren’s attention to the cab driver who reached back to play with him at every single stoplight. It wasn’t just us. I spoke with a friend who was in Rio with his three children recently, and he too was absolutely blown away by the consideration his family received.

I’m not someone who expects preferential treatment just because I have a child, but it was an incredible thing to witness a society that acknowledges even its smallest citizens. It made me realize how the focus in the US is largely on the “productive members”, whereas the Brazilians seem to regard people of all ages. It makes for a huge cultural difference.This open-arm welcome at restaurants, in stores and pretty much everywhere we went made relaxing and enjoying that much easier. Of course, as with any solid adventure, there were the low points: the camera broke on the first day so we documented with the iPhone; save for one afternoon, the beach was closed for swimming  (raw sewage in the water!); and our son can only sit for about 15 minutes at any restaurant.

But, none of this detracted from the adventure.  We did it. We navigated long flights, language barriers, mystery dining experiences and our own fears about venturing outside of our comfort zones as parents. Which, as I’m finding, is at the heart of this parenting thing, a realization I will happily blame on Rio.

 

 

 

 

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Gift: Poetry

April is National Poetry Month. So read a poem, recite one or pick up a book of poetry for someone (yourself even). I’ll be making an effort to read more poetry this month, so please send along any suggestions.

Today

Billy Collins

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,

so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw

open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary’s cage,

indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths

and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight

that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight

on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants

from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,

holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,

well, today is just that kind of day.

 

 

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Wander: Meg Curtis of Stonewall Farm

 


We’re kicking off a new Innkeeper Q&A Series today with Meg Curtis, Innkeeper Extraordinaire of Stonewall Farm Bed and Breakfast in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. I am fortunate enough to be friends with the Curtis family (a perk of marriage), and luckier still to have been a guest several times at this comfortable, welcoming, historic home (complete with barn, sheep, chickens, and lots of good campfire stories).

Many people talk about heading to the country and opening a B&B, but you and your husband, Skip, actually did it. What events led you to make this dream a reality? Skip and I had been casually looking for B&B properties for 15 years during weekend travels up and down Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. In 1996, with our three kids launched, we moved from Massachusetts to our summer home in New Hampshire.  We realized we needed something a little bigger, and again started looking. We were drawn to antique homes, but had put the idea of a B&B on the back burner.

That was until our real estate agent took us to look at an old farm house that had been established as a two room B&B. As we drove around the corner, I spotted a beautiful 1785, hip roofed farmhouse located on a slight knoll at the bend of the country road. I said, “Oh my, is this it?”  It was love at first sight. We walked through the carriage house, a hobby room (that would eventually become our family room and living quarters) and into the dining room. It was a cold, damp, November day. There was no fire in the fireplace. However, the room wrapped me in warmth, and I told my husband that this was the house. He exclaimed, “Don’t you even want to see the bedrooms?” Actually, no, but I continued with the tour of the five bedrooms, all with great possibilities. Yes, this was it.

Can you offer a brief history of Stonewall Farm? It was built in 1785 by David Goodall and resold in 1835 to a newly married couple, James and Elizabeth Bickford. There are too many stories to tell, but I am fortunate enough to have pictures of them and lots of memorabilia from their lives. It remained in their family until the 1920s or 30s. It was a home that had a lot of activity for the 1800s.

What are changes and additions that your family has made to enrich this place? New granite counters, cupboards, and appliances. After all, the country kitchen with the Glenwood stove is indeed the heart of the house. A parking lot needed to be established, a new and expanded outdoor deck and more bathrooms installed, so that each room would have their own private bath. My passion is wingback chairs and I have bought them at auction and had them reupholstered to provide a warm and comfortable setting in all areas, as well as the guest rooms. Our son has tackled a lot of the landscaping projects, and last year the barn renovation. When you own a historic home, the work and projects will never be done…that is a given.

I love the breakfasts and local goat milk soaps. What other amenities do guests appreciate? Yes, everyone seems to enjoy the full, homemade breakfast. We have our own supply on this property of apples, peaches, pears, raspberries, blueberries and grapes (for homemade grape juice). We also have a large herb garden beside the kitchen, and we grow all of our own vegetables in the summer. Nothing is ever sprayed here. We have now ventured into raising our own chickens, so we have farm fresh eggs too. We purchase New Hampshire made maple syrup and also offer it for sale, along with the goat milk soaps. I don’t know if you would consider it an amenity, but the star gazing that we have in the evening is a real gift. There is also a fire pit where the guests can enjoy a bonfire in the evening.

 What have been some of the biggest surprises about becoming an innkeeper? Being an innkeeper is a surprise each and every day. You never know who you will be hosting on any given day, and all rooms have to be ready to go at a moments notice. On laundry: it generally takes at least eight hours to wash, dry and fold all room laundry after a full house. Of course, I love the smell of sheets dried out on the line, and that takes a little extra time in the good weather. We also found that earlier rising to prepare breakfast did not mean we would go to bed early. We would often stay up late for someone arriving from a long trip. This is not a job for folks that think they can “retire”. You have to love people and love what you do to continue a business like this.

 Do you have return guests that seem more like friends now? In general, we love our guests and we remain in contact with a great many of them. As I say: there is never a stranger in our home. We have had guests from all over the world, and every guest brings something new to this B&B. It is always a learning opportunity, and after 15 years in the business, I don’t intend to stop any time soon. As long as I am physically able I will continue meeting, greeting and making sure everyone has the best B&B experience possible!

Visit Meg and Stonewall Farm; 235 Windsor Road; Hillsborough, New Hampshire; 603.478.1947; stonewallfarm@gmail.com

 

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Ps&Qs:Renew the Social Contract


At a party one night, I was chatting with a woman about one of the larger ideas behind GHG, the belief that we’re all guests here, so we should strive to be more thoughtful and respectful everywhere, be it someone’s home or on the subway.  It resonated with her, because she thinks that we’re losing sight of our social contract––the basic rules of courtesy, conduct and human interaction. The woman’s brother and his girlfriend, who both work at a coffee shop, jumped in and added that many people have just flat out forgotten their manners.

At the risk of sounding prissy (and old), I agree. The couple went through a list of behavior that they observe every day at their job: customers yapping on their phone while ordering; nary a please or thank you; and blatant-I’m-more-important-than-you line jumping, to name a few. Part of the problem is that in our increasingly electronic, virtual, blinking-screen world we tend to treat humans as just another automated service too. I admit, I’ve been guilty of the phone thing. In a reflex reaction I took a call while standing on line at the pharmacy, and I still wasn’t off the call when I reached the counter. I felt like a complete jerk.

It doesn’t take much to renew this social contract either.  A courteous hello, thank you or even a smile––you know, the basics. So, until we are all replaced by robots, put your call on hold, take a minute to acknowledge the human on the other side of the counter, in the toll booth at the ticket counter and be grateful that we are man and not machine (yet).

 

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Gift: In Bloom

I’ve lived most of my life in the Midwest, a place where spring teases and retreats. Some years it felt as if the season hardly got out of bed. I can’t blame it, what with Lake Michigan in a frozen expression of shock and the ground practically set-cement hard for months on end. I’ve watched snow fall on my birthday in April.

I now find myself in the mid-Atlantic region, a land of milder winters and an actual season of budding and bursting forth prior to June. Currently the daffodils are awake, and this past week soared with summer-like temperatures. Because of that, I’m inspired today by gifts that will bring on the blooms.

Haul your bounty from the garden, the farmer’s market or the corner store in this sunny canvas tote from Chewing the Cud.


A bouquet that will last forever on the classic poppy Marimekko Unikko teapot.

Get growing with Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply seed tins.

See Spark Living about these mugs by Paul Timman of Sunset Strip Tattoo featuring chrysanthemums and lotus flowers otherwise inked by Paul on someone’s body.

The Celia Birtwell watering can from Sprout Home is as practical as it is pretty.

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Create: Jar Muffins…or Cookies…or Bread


I realize that this is one of several posts involving a Mason jar, but they are so darn useful. Perhaps ‘put it in a Mason jar’ is to Brooklyn what ‘put a bird on it’ is to Portland. Either way, here’s yet another treat to put in a Mason jar––jar muffins…or cookies…or bread.

This simple gift is one I’ve assembled for the sweetest twins around and my niece. It’s fun for kids who are interested in baking, and my brother-in-law claims it was a delicious activity for my niece.

Start with any simple recipe for cookies, muffins or a savory bread. Layer the dry ingredients in the jar, and package any extras like raisins or chocolate chips separately. I leave out any wet ingredients like eggs, butter and vanilla which most people have on hand. Then I include a hand written recipe card that they can file away. Package it all up in a brown paper lunch sack and you have the perfect birthday/Valentine’s/rainy day gift.

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Ps&Qs: Guest Chef?


Today’s very good question comes from a very funny comedian friend of mine. I’m sure he smoothed over this situation with lots of humor, but I’ve added a few ideas too per his request.

Q: My old friends P & T live in upstate New York in a big house in the Catskills. They gave me and my fiance an open invitation to visit anytime to get a break from the city.  My good friends G & D had also been wanting to leave the city, so I asked P if we could bring them along.

It was a great trip and we all got along––but there was a small hiccup. On Saturday afternoon G (who has restaurant experience as a sous chef) insisted upon handling the shopping and cooking dinner on Saturday night as a thank you to P & T.  While well intentioned, I could sense that P didn’t like being strong armed by G and essentially booted out of her own kitchen.  She relented graciously and let her guest cook. Thoughts? Advice for the next time this happens?  Good ways to handle this?

A: I try to tread lightly when first navigating in someone else’s kitchen. For some this territory is more personal than the bedroom. You know the type: they bristle as you search their drawers, tense up at your technique and can be absolutely pushed over the brink when the dishwasher is loaded the “wrong” way. For as generous as my mom is, she was the “everyone out of my kitchen” type cook. With three kids underfoot I can’t blame her for staking claim to at least one area of the house, and because of this I have sympathy for P.

However, I also applaud G’s efforts to make a big show of appreciation for P’s generosity. Perhaps next time G could still cook, but make a meal that is less the main event than dinner. Ease in with breakfast, brunch or a generous cocktail hour spread (complete with  cocktails that only a bartender with a vest and waxed moustache seems to build). For very low-impact kitchen use, offer to pack a creative picnic lunch (and gift a multipurpose market basket like the one shown above) for a group hike or day trip.

Or, avoid your host’s kitchen entirely by showing up with a few things you made at home. A coffee cake, nuts, granola or some other treat that can be enjoyed during the weekend by everyone. It’s a guaranteed way to impress without the mess or power struggle.

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Create: Best.Granola.Ever.

Guest post by Jane Lerner

Big day here on Good House Guest: our second guest post comes from the very first rate Jane Lerner. In addition to being a top-notch writer and editor, Jane throws an excellent party, always suggests just the right restaurant and is the woman to call about a food adventure. Plus, she shows up with treats from one of her favorite neighborhood spots or her magic kitchen. Jane’s granola recipe is a secret I’ve been after for awhile now, so I’m thrilled she is sharing it with GHG. Thank you Jane! Connect with Jane on Twitter and be sure to check out her gorgeous new website. You’ll love Jane as much as her granola.

I host a lot of house guests. There was one stretch in late 2010 where 14 different sets of guests stayed in my apartment over a four-month period. Granted, I have a spacious three-bedroom apartment in a popular part of Brooklyn, and when I moved in I extended an open invitation to all of my friends. Problem is, everyone took me up on it.

I love having guests in theory, but I have learned—the hard way—that I contain a finite amount of hospitality. My sincerest apologies to those friends who stayed with me when I was at the end of my gracious-host rope. At the conclusion of that 14-guest run I was ready to relocate to a 300-square-foot studio just to discourage anyone else who might want to visit. Luckily my friends are wonderful people, most of them with good manners and a real consideration for the fact that staying in someone’s home means that a gift is in order. I’ve received a colorful cutting board, a gigantic jar of local honey and an array of specialty foods from the gourmet shop down the street, but truth be told the best present is a guest who does the dishes, is fun to hang out with and doesn’t burn the house down (yes, a few folks have introduced fire into the equation).

Homemade gifts are especially sweet, and if you’d really like to warm the hearts of your hosts, may I recommend whipping up a batch of granola to present as a pre–thank to get in good graces the minute you step over the threshold. This granola is a mishmash of a few recipes I’ve tried over the years, and I think I’ve hit upon the perfect version. As a friend recently emailed, after sampling a batch of the stuff: “Your granola game is tight. Best I have ever eaten!” Package it in a large Mason jar and add a little tag that says, “THANK YOU!” I guarantee that no one will complain about you on Good House Guest ever again.

GHG Granola

3 cups rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tsp Maldon salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup dried unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup French coconut cubes (optional, as they are only available at Fairway)
1 cup golden raisins and diced dried apricot

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, cardamom, salt, olive oil and maple syrup. The mixture should be well coated but not super wet. Spread evenly on two large baking sheets, put in oven and bake for 20 minutes until the mixture is a toasty light brown, stirring two or three times. Add in the coconut flakes and coconut cubes. Bake for 15 minutes more, stirring once or twice. The granola should be a dark golden brown—monitor it closely to avoid burning.

Remove pans from oven and let cool on racks. Stir in dried fruit. Transfer to a few large Mason jars and give away as gifts.

Adapted from/inspired by published recipes from Mark Bittman and Early Bird Granola.

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Create: A Sweet Tradition

My childhood birthday dessert memories are a chilled, sugary trifecta of mint-chocolate-chip ice cream, chocolate cake and the dense, glossy frosting found only in a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. I cannot separate celebrating my dad’s birthday from an airy, spongy forkful of angel food cake. High school was flavored by the so fake (but so good) box birthday cakes and cupcakes that we’d make for friends. And people tell my husband and me that ding dongs-––we built a tower of the waxy pucks to make a cake––will always remind them of our wedding.

These sugary memories have sticking power. So when I asked what I could make for my niece, Ale’s, second birthday party and my sister-in-law handed me a cake recipe, I panicked a bit. The cake, presented to the birthday girl ablaze with candles, would not only be immortalized in photos, but people would actually eat it. Lots of people. And there is no hiding a bad cake.

Well, the cake came through, and the cooking assignment turned out to be one of the best ones yet. Because this cake, the Cook’s Illustrated carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, has now become the family birthday dessert. I have also baked it for the first birthdays of my son and nephew, Francis. Just last week we welcomed another nephew, Thomas, and I hope to make it for him too. The taste of tangy cream cheese frosting and spicy sweet cake is now mingled with watching my niece, son and nephew delight over a confection just for them. And the so-joyful-I-could-burst feeling of having these little ones here to bake for at all. It is a wonder certainly deserving of cake.

Pictured above is my son on his first birthday. I will probably never bake anything as well-received as that cake. Anyone else have a cake or sweets recipe that has become a tradition with family and friends?

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Gift: Buy Local


My sister, Susie, packaged up the most thoughtful assortment of east coast treats in a simple brown paper lunch sack as a Christmas hostess gift this year. It was the sweetest modern day general store goody bag.

She included local favorites like a gorgeously wrapped Mast Brothers Chocolate bar and old-timey Brooklyn Hard Candy, both made in New York. Plus, the creamy (and super addictive) goat milk caramels from Big Picture Farm. You can even follow the goats who supply the milk online, like Fern and Gertrude, of this Willy Wonka gone locavore farm and confectionery in Vermont. Talk about knowing your source.

Local treats are an excellent theme for a gift for all sorts of occasions, especially if visiting someone out of town. It doesn’t need to be much either––a candy bar, jar of pickles, bottle of hot sauce––is all it takes to transport a little taste of your home to theirs.

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