It's Almost That Magical Time of Year !!

Now is the time of year to start thinking about Winter.
A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast or Sugar Pine Cabin at Yosemite
are the perfect places to be to enjoy the fun.

The $99.00 Winter Special starts December 1st through March 31st (excluding holidays) at A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast. You can book any room for only $99. which includes a yummy continental breakfast.

The Winter Special at the Sugar Pine Cabin at Yosemite
starts November 1st through March 31st(excluding holidays). The regular rates for the whole cabin, which holds up to 8 people are $300. per night. The winter rate is only $200. per night for the whole cabin. Bring the whole family!

The Lower cabin normally rents out at $200. per night. The winter special is $150. per night.

Take advantage of these specials and book right away to make sure you get your special dates ..... before someone else gets them!

Get away from the stress and have some fun!!

Bring the kids to see the petting zoo and play in the snow.

Read a book and enjoy some hot tea in the cabin and watch the winter wonderland outside



Logs on the fire burning, hot chocolate, peace and quiet, warmth, love, ummmmm

You're in Paradise...:)

Almond Chocolate Biscotti

I made biscotti for the first time tonight. I love biscotti and it is so expensive to buy. This recipe was real easy. I found it on FoodNetwork.com. It takes some time and my biscotti broke up into smaller pieces than I would have liked. But, I think with some practice, this will be a favorite here at A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti
Recipe courtesy of Gale Gand
Prep Time:
30 min

--
Cook Time:
1 hr 10 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
24 total pieces
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole almonds, toasted
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Directions
In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together eggs, egg whites and vanilla extract. Gradually add egg mixture to flour mixture blending on low. Toss almonds with chocolate chips then add to flour mixture and blend just until combined.
On a well floured surface roll dough into 2 logs, 2 inches in diameter. Place on a greased sheet pan and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Allow logs to cool 15 minutes then cut into slices on the bias. Place slices on a greased sheet pan and bake in a 350 degree oven until toasted, about 15-20 minutes. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

Babysitting

Today we babysat a new little pomeranian puppy named Penny. Jenine's sister just got her the other day. When she asked us to watch Penny while she went to sewing class we thought that sounded like fun!! She looks like a little angel in this picture sleeping on her stuffed sheep. She ran around chasing anything that moved and chewing anything that stood still. She loves shoe laces and electrical cords. Our little dog Minnie wasn't happy about sharing the limelight with such a cutie. Minnie didn't understand Penny's desire to hop and play so much. So, Minnie went to take a nap while Penny played and then Minnie watched while Penny took her nap. Boy, it's just like having babies around again!!

Madera Wine Trail Nov 14 and 15

The family wineries of the Madera Wine Trail will host "Holiday Spirit Weekend" on Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 am to 5 pm. Wine lovers may purchase a Passport Glass for $25 at any of the participating wineries both days of the event, or pre-purchase tickets online for $20 at www.myticketportal.com. "It's a great chance to sample our fabulous local wines complemented by indulgent food pairings, local art and live music," said K.C. Pommering, executive director of the Madera Vintners Association. The Madera County Arts Council will host a two day art show & exhibit at their Circle Arts Gallery at Cleveland & Schnoor in Madera. Agajanian Vineyards will be at the Gallery pouring their award-winning local wines both days. The Agajanian wine tasting & the Art Show are included with the Madera Wine Trail Passport Glass. Many businesses will also be taking part in the festivities. The Vineyard Restaurant in Madera will open for dinner Saturday and will waive corkage fees for bottles purchased on the Madera Wine Trail. For reservations or more information, contact The Vineyard at (559) 674-0923.For those who don't wish to drive, Touch of Class Limousine Service will be offering special travel packages for Holiday Spirit Weekend. 888.575.4667 Participating wineries include: Birdstone Winery, Chateau Lasgoity, Ficklin Vineyards, Idle Hour Winery, Mariposa Wine Company, Quady Winery, San Joaquin Wine Company and Westbrook Wine Farm by appointment.

Fee free day at Yosemite

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To honor America’s service men and women, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that areas managed by the department will not charge entrance fees on Wednesday, November 11, 2009.
Visitors to public recreation lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation are invited to take a day to honor and reflect on what our service men and women have done to maintain our freedom and keep peace around the world, Salazar said.
"The Department of the Interior is honored to offer this fee free day to thank our nation’s service men and women," said Salazar said "The sacrifices and achievements of the brave men and women of our armed forces can never be understated. We invite all of our visitors to enjoy this fee free day and take time out on this national holiday to remember our service men and women who are currently serving overseas in harm's way. "
The Department of Agriculture also is waiving entrance fees at its national forests.

Bath time at the zoo

I've never bathed a chicken before. Didn't even know you could. We did research on the Internet about it first. Apparently there is a specific way to do it. We recently got a new batch of chickens. We selected one of each kind just to have a variety. The silky, which we named Fluffy, is supposed to be white and, of course, fluffy. She wasn't very white or fluffy...and to be honest, she smelled a little bad. The bath went fine. She was calm and almost seemed to enjoy the process. Silkies have dark blue skin so she looked pretty weird when she was all wet. As instructed on the Internet, we used a blow dryer on High/Cool until she was completely dry.

Fluffy looks and smells much better now.

Clockwise from top left: Pepper, Red, Fluffy, Pinky Lee, Pip

Yosemite Guide

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

John Muir

Many people stay at A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast or Sugar Pine Cabin at Yosemite as their base point for their visit to Yosemite. We strive to make your visit as full and/or relaxing as you would like. We have many books and brochures about Yosemite and the area for you to read and even take with you to the park.

One guide that we keep in stock for our guests is the Yosemite Guide. It is published by the National Park Service (NPS). It is a wealth of information. You will receive a copy when you pay at the gate to get into the park. A good idea is to check out the current online copy before you arrive. Here is the link: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm. Check it out. It has maps, hike descriptions, schedules for ranger programs, safety information and much more.

If you have any questions about your visit, feel free to email us at bedofroses@sti.net. We volunteered for several years at the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau (http://www.yosemitethisyear.com/) and have a lot of resources for information.