Happy Saturday from the White Mountains of Arizona. We finally made it up to our cabin, only to find rather hot weather here (but not as hot as Phoenix). Rain is predicted for this weekend, which we always want and need desperately. Thank you for joining me today~it’s been a busy week and there is a lot of good stuff to share with you.

Newest Member to our Family

Meet Kerouac (Kero for short), an 8 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This is our daughter, Julianna’s second dog (her first is a German Shepherd named Hemingway~notice the author name reference). What a cutie pie and this dog is already easing nicely into his new life here. If you are on Instagram, I have a video of the little fella~so adorable! @lifeatbellaterra

Speaking of animals, look what we found in the grass~a baby Western Screech owl. Surprisingly, I was able to get close to capture this photo and a video (you can see it on my IG account). Eventually it made its way to a tree and we hope Mom and Dad owl are nearby helping it during this fledging stage.

Fun Finds

I really do not like to shop and especially when it’s triple digits here. However, I found these placemats at Walmart this week. They reminded me of my mother, who loved braided rugs. The Pioneer Woman brand has some really lovely things at a reasonable cost. This Sweet Rose Braided Placemat is $5.98 each and you can find it here.

There are so many colors in this placemat, I think the uses are endless. Here is what it looks like with my blue and white melamine plates from Callini Coastal.

I do not have any flower vases here at the cabin and found this rustic copper planter at Walmart. Check out this month’s flower subscription to The Bouqs. Aren’t these roses from Ecuador gorgeous? Don’t they look just perfect in this container? What a bargain at $14.18, however, it is not water tight. Looks like I will need to find a plastic liner. You can find it here.

The Most Beautiful Birthday Dinner party

My friend, Barbara from Mantel and Table is a tablescape guru. In this blog post, she shares her 60th birthday celebration with her girlfriends. From the creative design of the invitation to the unbelievable venue and menu, Barbara’s dinner party is spectacular. Makes me want to plan something this elegant.

So many clever and creative ideas in Barbara’s post and you can see it here.

A DIY I want to try

As I mentioned last Saturday, I am a mosquito magnet. We own our fair share of citronella candles, but honestly, I do not like how they smell (I guess that is the point). Heidi, from Eleanor Rose Home has an easy tutorial on how to make lemon & herb citronella candles.

They are so pretty and if they do the trick and keep those nasty biting bugs away, I’m in! You can see Heidi’s post here.

An Amazing She Shed and Greenhouse

Wouldn’t we all love a She Shed AND a greenhouse? Well, my friend Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse shares some of her patriotic decor (just in time for July 4th), but better yet, you get a glimpse into her special space. Even though my style isn’t farmhouse, I learn so much from Rachel and her creative ideas. You can see her darling She Shed/Greenhouse here.

Produce Update

Well, I am using up the last of the peaches. It’s funny how the very first peach picked is cherished and photographed with lots of oohing and aahhing. Now after harvesting and making one peach recipe after another, I am truly done with the peaches. The final batch is sliced and frozen on cookie sheets and then placed into ziplock bags for future use.

Same with the tomatoes, though I am still picking them from the garden. While here at the cabin, I will roast the big bowl I brought with us in a slow oven with garlic, salt and olive oil.

Zucchini is a gift that keeps on giving. Made two loaves of zucchini chocolate chip bread this week. Yummy but I am growing tired of zucchini too!

The apple tree is ready to pick too so lots of apple cooking in my future.

On our drive up to the cabin, we saw this truck and got a good chuckle out of it.

If you saw this week’s post on the Before and After on these two table lamps, here is how they look on our cabin back porch.

Next week will be a bit table focused. I cannot wait to share my Dinner in the Library table that we hosted at a Scholarship fundraiser. Also, I have 2 patriotic tables for July 4th, since that is just around the corner.

Well that is a wrap for Saturday Meanderings. Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Father’s Day to all those men who are fathers or have fathered or mentored anyone.

My life has been so hectic lately and I have had little to no time to do something civilized, and just for me. My sweet friend, Christine made reservations at the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, Arizona for my birthday celebration. I cannot believe I did not know about this establishment and it is a complete delight! I am so excited to share this with you because don’t we all need a little more civilized experiences in our lives?

About the English Rose Tea Room

From their website: Established in 2002, the English Rose Tea Room is regularly voted Best Place for Afternoon Tea by Phoenix Magazine….and I can see why.

With an interior to rival the Ritz Hotel and a romantic, shady patio for tea al fresco, the English Rose Tea Room is a true gem in the desert. From scones to crumpets to cottage pie or a Ploughman’s lunch, you are guaranteed a culinary experience to remember.

Gorgeous Interior

Upon arrival, you instantly feel transported to an English garden, abundant with roses, hydrangeas and flowers in all shades of pink and white.

Even the chairs have teacups and teapots painted on the back.

The minute you set foot in this dreamy place you feel like a character on Downton Abbey.

The Outdoor Patio

Our table is on the outdoor patio in an equally lovely setting. The table for two is perfectly set with a tablecloth, vintage tea cups, dishes accordion-folded napkins and menus. And check out those chandeliers, laden with roses and tea cups dangling below.

The patio is equipped with a misting system which instantly cools down the air temperature by 5 to 10 degrees.

Formal Afternoon Tea

The Formal Afternoon tea includes a 3-tiered selection of sandwiches, scones, petit fours and a selection of tea. Gluten-free options are also available. This is plenty of food for both of us, but I ate far more than Christine!

The scones with clotted cream and fresh strawberry jam are so delicious. I am obviously too busy eating one to get a good photo. Even the cream and milk for the tea comes in this sweet container.

Small Shop

There is a small shop with tea related items and a wide variety of tea for purchase. Don’t you just love how they use teapots as room dividers?

And of course, you can always take your picture with Queen Elizabeth!

Outside the tea room is the quintessential British telephone booth, complete with a wall of roses.

And here is my sweet friend, Christine who made this delightful birthday experience possible.

Such pretty details like this vintage bike and basket full of flowers, makes the tea room experience flow to the exterior of the building.

All the Details

What a wonderful place to visit and experience great food, delicious tea, a lovely setting and a chance to have good conversation with a dear friend. I definitely need more of this in my life. The English Rose Tea Room also has etiquette classes for children, scouts and young adults.

It is never too late to brush up on your table manners, tea party manners and general etiquette. Also, the tea room hosts private events for bridal and baby showers, birthdays and celebrations. Here is the link to their website.

As you can imagine, reservations are a must as they fill up very quickly. They are open 7 days a week and I can tell you, I will be back. And I would love to take our guests and visitors to show them an English Tea Room in the desert.

Inspiration

Now I want to host a tea party. Don’t we need to get back to the simpler times where we conversed over tea and scones? My very first blog post is about a charitable tea we hosted with New York Times best-selling author, Rhys Bowen. This event was such a success that we did it again the following year. But with the pandemic and all the other nonsense going on in the world the ability to socialize in large gatherings is a bit diminished.

But now after having the English Rose Tea room experience, I would love to do another tea party. Who’s in?

Happy Wednesday and thank you again for joining me. Hopefully you will be inspired to take a sit and enjoy a cup of tea today.

It is not very often in life when you get to go somewhere so magical, so unique that it leaves a lasting impression. Fortunately, for my birthday celebration, my sweet spouse arranged a visit to Castle Hot Springs. The kudos actually goes to my son who made us aware of this amazing destination (even though he lives in Washington, DC) based on this Wall Street Journal article.

History

Only 50 miles north of Phoenix, nestled in the Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Hot Springs opened in 1896 and was a wintertime retreat for Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Pews, Astors and Carnegies. The WSJ states, “It’s like a tornado picked up a five-star resort and dropped it in the middle of a desert valley”. Tycoons and captains of industry would take a Pullman car and then a long stagecoach ride to stay for the season.

Rich in history, Castle Hot Springs gets its name from the mineral-rich thermal waters running beneath the property. The healing properties of these waters, which flow at a rate of 200,000 gallons per day would take “frail boys and girls and develop them into robust manhood and womanhood”. John F. Kennedy recovered here for several months after his combat injuries, as this also served as a military rehabilitation center after World War II.

In 1976, a devastating fire destroyed the main lodge at the resort and the resort lay dormant for the next 40 years.

Fortunately, a local businessman and his wife purchased the property in 2014 and spent millions of dollars bringing it back to life. Their 5 year “passion project” on this 210-acre parcel is now my birthday experience! Dubbed the cousin to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, this all inclusive resort has 32 rooms. Expansion plans are anticipated.

What makes this idyllic retreat so appealing, is that it is so hard to get to. The hotel sits at the end of an unpaved 7 mile road, which is subject to flash floods. But when you arrive, the scene is breathtaking.

Farm to Table

I love to garden and the gardens at Castle Hot Springs provide a large percentage of the food for the guests. Taking the farm tour from Ian, the head agronomist, is a lesson in new varieties and experimentation. Ian plants different types of fruits, vegetables and herbs producing fresh results at every meal. Striving to grow the most unique and diverse ingredients, the garden is more like his laboratory.

At the end of the tour, we sample the vegetables~some completely new hybrids grown only here at Castle Hot Springs.

Even the bartenders go out and pick fresh herbs to garnish their beverages, while creating a beautiful, fragrant display at the bar.

Unique touches, like using the stalk of a fava bean plant as a straw, is what makes this place so special.

Activities and Adventure

Naturally, there is a plethora of hiking trails. The rocks rise like a cathedral in the Bradshaw Mountains. The air is so clean and clear.

With a long and illustrious past, we visit the Wells Fargo cave~where the money was kept and guarded from bandits.

From horseback riding to helicopter tours, there are many activities to choose. We did archery, Wild West shooting of replica guns from the 1800 and 1900s. But the star of the show is the hot springs. Three pools with varying temperatures are nestled in the rocks above the resort. And without the typical rotten-egg smell most often associated with hot springs.

Even though we only stayed two nights, this adventure is filled with rest and relaxation. There is something sacred about this secret location. A 90 minute massage is also responsible for starting this birthday celebration off correctly!

I cannot say enough about the staff. You can tell from their demeanor that everyone loves working in this environment. We did feel both welcomed and pampered~just perfect.

What made this location so unique is all the history, the trailblazing spirit of the owners over time and now the Watts family has revitalized an important part of Arizona history. Experiencing it is indeed the best of birthday gifts.

Happy Tuesday! I have a very busy week in store as we are expecting our son to visit with six of his friends. Nothing better than a household full!

Special thanks to the staff that made our stay at the Castle Hot Springs memorable:

Bevin~you need to write the Bodacious Beverages by Bevin book

Ryan and Josh~thanks for being patient with my ambidextrous shooting

Eric, Robert, Amber, Shane and Sarah-thanks for making each meal memorable

Marcin~thanks for the lemon slice tutorial

Bradley~for the archery and transportation

Christy~such powerful and therapeutic hands

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Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we just chat about anything and everything! Grab a cup of Joe or tea and I am so happy you are joining me today!

Today is my birthday. I am 65 years old. How the heck did that happen? Quite honestly, I feel 25 on the inside, yet the outside is definitely showing some wear and tear. So here is what 65 years old looks like. Granted, this is after a hair cut and some make-up, but I still feel quite young and vibrant.

Needless to say, we are off celebrating this weekend and I’m very excited! Our destination is Castle Hot Springs, a 1,100 acre ranch secluded in an Arizona canyon with natural hot springs.

We may not celebrate my birthday in style every year, but my husband gets kudos for planning this. Click here to see the surprise trip to Blackberry Farm for my 60th birthday.

An Unexpected Trip

Earlier this week, we drove to see my cousins in Victorville, CA. Unfortunately, my sweet cousin, John recently received a challenging diagnosis and we hope our visit provided some fun and laughter. Since we grew up in opposite ends of the country, it is wonderful to hear family stories from their perspective.

I have never been to Victorville or Apple Valley and it is a delightful place in the high desert of the state. Listed as one of the top 100 places to live, I can certainly see why. Warm during the day, the temperature drops at night for the perfect sleeping weather. They live in a wonderful, patriotic community with a view out to the snow covered San Bernadino mountains.

Books on Tape

I guess the books really aren’t on “tape” but during the roundtrip 11 hour car drive to California, we listen to Audible books. In my opinion, the success of an audible book is the narrator. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon and beautifully narrated by Alex Tregear, is 8 hours and 7 minutes long and is considered a cozy historical mystery. We did enjoy it and it seems to make the drive go by faster.

What’s Blooming

April is the month where I believe our property is at its all-time best. Here is a snapshot of what’s blooming now.

The iris are in the middle of showing their delicate petals.

After whacking back the rose bushes in January, they always make a gorgeous comeback.

The photo at the top of the post is a bouquet of the heirloom roses (Quatre Saisons) that have been on the property for decades. I tried propagating them last spring (to no avail), but if you want to try rose propagation, I have a great tutorial on it here.

Every time I see a snapdragon I remember showing the children how to make them open and close like a mouth. Even the petals look like they have teeth, right? For some reason, the snapdragons are huge and abundant this spring.

And those hollyhocks are taking over the property. They are EVERYWHERE! I still have many seeds that I am happy to share (just email me at [email protected]).

San Miguel de Allende

This destination is on my bucket list. Has anyone ever been there? San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city in Mexico’s central highlands, is known for its baroque Spanish architecture, thriving arts scene and cultural festivals.

Getting there isn’t fast or inexpensive. However, I do dream about going there someday. In my saved files, I am keeping this Belmont hotel, Casa de Sierra Nevada, as a possible future accommodation.

Doesn’t this look just amazing?

Belmond also does the Venice Simplon-Orient Express train~another bucket list destination. Maybe when I become a famous blogger, they will treat me to a trip!

Well, that’s it for Saturday Meanderings. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. I cannot wait to share our adventures at Castle Hot Springs!

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Photographs of me done by Cozy Clicks

Hair done by Roscoe Nichols at Pucci Salon

Makeup done by Kayla Spencer

We recently held a small surprise birthday dinner party for my husband, Scott. All intentions for a larger surprise gathering evaporated with COVID. But since this is a landmark birthday, we did try to make it a bit special regardless. Here are the grilled cheese and tomato soup ideas we created based on a grown-up theme.

Entertaining at home is limited to very small groups. We are careful to be outside in the fresh air. As much as we want to include all our friends, we are being conscientious until this whole pandemic settles down.

In planning, I need to be more aware of how food is served, social distancing and the weather conditions. Our winters in Phoenix are chilly, especially at night and in the morning.

With the help of my children, we did all the cooking while trying to keep Scott out of the kitchen (that could be a blog post in itself!). It was a bit frenetic to say the least. Before any event I am so swamped I forget to take really good pictures of the setting and food. I need to get better at this!

The Menu

The menu for the dinner is:

• Creamy Tomato Soup
• Artisanal Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Winter Salad
• Black Forest Cake from Tessa Huff’s Layered cookbook
• Glossy Fudge Brownies with Walnuts from Stella Park’s Bravetart cookbook

The recipes for the creamy tomato soup and artisanal grilled cheese are from Bon Appetit’s October 2012 issue. Guests design their own sandwiches from a table of curated fixings.

The Fixings

To make the sandwiches have adult appeal (but who really doesn’t love a crisp, gooey grilled cheese sandwich?) you can vary the ingredients. For this party, the meat fillings for the sandwich include: thinly sliced ham, prosciutto, smoked brisket, and crispy bacon.

Pre-shredding the cheese allows for faster and even melting. Dill havarti, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, gruyere, and smoked gouda are good cheese choices.

Sliced sourdough bread is an easy store purchase, and you can use whole grain or rye. Whole grain mustard, fig and sour cherry jam, are nice spreads to add. Though we did not include these, thinly sliced apples and sauerkraut would work too.

The Soup and Salad

This easy, delicious tomato soup can also be made ahead of time and reheated. If you haven’t made my Winter Kale salad, this is a winner. For this particular event, I did not include the wild rice, but made the salad with chopped fresh kale, feta cheese, pomegranates and toasted walnuts. See the recipe here.

The beauty of this meal is that you can prepare most of it ahead of time. On the day of the event, slice and skillet (or broil) the bread, grate the cheese, make the salad. The soup can be prepared up to 2 days earlier. Just before guests arrive, re-heat the soup and set everything out.

The Preparation

Let your guests decide their fillings, and then finish the sandwich off on the grill or in the oven~hot for consumption. It is fun to take everyone’s order and with one person grilling, the sandwiches are ready quickly.

Soup is served in mugs so everything can fit onto one large plate.

Desserts

For dessert, our guests choose from either rich, fudgy brownies or Black Forest cake or both.

This warm and comforting meal is very appropriate for a rather chilly evening outside. I was afraid the cake was too small to serve everyone, but thin slices are appropriate for this rich, dense and delicious cake. And I always forget to take off my apron!

Happy Tuesday, my friends! I guess the New Year has officially begun. How nice to have a weekend after the holiday! We are celebrating our youngest’s birthday this week and I will no longer have any teenagers at home. Where does the time go?

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