As all our guests know, when you check in to Ormsby Hill you’ll find a plate of cookies awaiting your arrival in your room.  This time of year we pull out all the stops – we always have those year-after-year favorites, but we always put one or two new ones on the plate – just to keep our guests challenged!!

Gingerbread Cookies Just Out of the Oven

Iced Gingerbread

Plated Christmas Cookies

Here are our plated cookies ready to be put in our guest rooms.  We have our usual gingerbread (trees, men, stars, bells) and raspberry-filled butter cookies.  New from last year are our mocha balls.  New for this year are the hazelnut truffle and chewy amaretti.  YUM!!

Just think, if you were, or are, checking in this holiday season, this is what you’ll find waiting for you.

What’s new – we keep getting anywhere from a dusting to a couple of inches of snow and it is still absolutely beautiful.

Thank you for all your gift certificate calls – and a reminder that it is still not too late to have an Inn at Ormsby Hill gift certificate in time for Christmas.

Thanksgiving "Props"

Thanksgiving – hands down our favorite holiday of the year.  After all, it’s all about the food!!!!

The house is beautifully decorated for the season (no, we’re not into the “next” holiday yet!!), and we are busy in the kitchen preparing for our Thanksgiving feast.  Squash pies are in the oven.  Apple pies are being prepped.  The fresh Vermont turkey is being dry brined.

Our favorite Thanksgiving side dish is these Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions – we  hope it becomes yours as well.

2 pounds Cipollini onions

1/2 cup dried currants

1 cup ruby port

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the onions for 2 minutes to loosen skins.  Drain and cool slightly.   Peel onions.

Place currants in a bowl.  Cover with 1 cup hot water and let soak for 15 minutes, and then drain.

Combine onions, port, butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar and thyme in a large skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook 30 minutes.  Uncover, add currants, and cook until the onions are almost tender and coated with the glaze, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Mix in the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

May be made 1 day ahead.   Cover and refrigerate.  Before serving, rewarm over low heat, adding more port if mixture is dry.

Serves 8

We have much to be thankful for, and, from our home to yours, we wish you  a very Happy Thanksgiving