Our Mountain Home Lodge family has a new member... welcome Ritz, our new now 10-wek old orange tabby!  He is full of energy, speed and man are his little claws sharp!  Ouch!! This is his second week at the Lodge and he is fitting right in.  He has graduated to being allowed outside on the decks without supervision!  Millie does keep an eye on him and Cracker.... well, she is tolerating his antics and at least no longer hissing at him! In a few more weeks they will all be buds we are sure.

Sadly, Jack, our 10yr old grey tabby had a heart attack June 25th and passed to heaven.  He is in good company joining our other pet pals... Blue the horse, Bailey & Oggie our dogs and Oscar & Ernie our cats.  

Come up and meet Ritz as he is growing like a weed! 

Morning sunshine! 

Another beautiful morning!  The guests awoke to the fragrant aromas of Chef's delicious blueberry buttermilk pancakes with fresh berry syrup & country pork sausage this morning which also brought the teenager bear down from  the woods for his/her breakfast cleaning up the fallen seeds at the bird feeders.  Our guest Sheila captured this great photo of a resident hummer enjoying breakfast too!  Life is grand!   

Spring on the mountain is officially here!  The wildflowers are spectacular this year!  The Cascades are still snowcapped, but with the expected heat wave this next week we are sure to see some drastic melting.  The river rafting will be fantastic!  Our hiking and mtn, biking trails are in great condition and everyone is anxious to get outside and play!  Check your calendar and see if you can carve a few days over in the sunshine to enjoy Mountain Home Lodge!  

Here is a delicious lemon pound cake you may want to try that we are enjoying this spring... great at breakfast or for dessert with fresh strawberries and whipped cream!  

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake from blog"Once Upon a Chef"- Jennifer Segal 

Best made a day ahead..

Ingredients: 

For the Cake

        3 c all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for the pan

        1/2 teaspoon baking soda

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

        2-1/4 cups granulated sugar

        3 large eggs

        1 cup buttermilk (low fat is fine)

        2 Tbsp grated lemon zest, packed (note: you'll need 4-5 large lemons for the entire recipe)

        2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

For the Syrup

        1/3 cup water

        1/3 cup granulated sugar

        2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the Glaze

        1 cup confectioners' sugar

        2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

        1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, packed

        1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

        Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.

n a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

        In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

        In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice.

        With the mixer on low speed, beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the buttermilk mixture. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the milk mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining milk mixture. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

        Spoon the thick batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

        Cool the cake in the pan for ten minutes on a rack.

        Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

        Invert the warm cake onto a rack. Slip a large piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil under the rack to catch all the drips from the syrup and glaze. Gradually brush the hot syrup over the cake, letting it soak in (a little syrup will drip off, but try not to rush so that most of it is absorbed). Allow the cake to cool completely, about one hour.

        When the cake is cool, make the glaze. Combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and melted butter in a medium bowl, mixing with a fork until smooth. Add more confectioners' sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be the consistency of thick honey). Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

Our winter wonderland!

March welcomed us with 3 more inches of snow this morning and more expected throughout the week!  Come join us in our winter paradise with snowshoe and back country x/c skiing trails right out the door, our amazing 1,700' sledding hill and Chef Ron's delicious cuisine!  Hurry as space is very limited for the season. 800-414-2378

Many MHL guests are enjoying our local winter sports club groomed trails in the valley before they arrive to our resort or when they depart before driving home.  Guests of course relish our backcountry trails and equipment inclusive in their visit while at Mountain Home Lodge, but have also had fun trying our two local trail systems in the valley for classic and skate skiing loops.  Equipment can be rented  if needed to enjoy these valley options if arriving to Leavenworth early before our snowcat whisks you up to our paradise 1,000' closer to Heaven!  

Ahhh....we really are 1,000 feet closer to Heaven at Mountain Home Lodge! 

Received another 6" of snow the other night... winter is gorgeous on the mountain!  Went out today and snowshoed with my mom.... saw dad out skiing on our way back home.  Everyone wanted to get outside and play today!  Now mom is busy making their dinner...Three Sisters Stew is perfect to enjoy fireside tonight!  Hope you can find to get out and enjoy nature too and perhaps try this delicious dinner.  Cheers - Millie 

THREE SISTERS STEW  -  Serves 8

Modified from recipe on NY Times Cooking that was originally adapted from cookbook: A Taste of Wyoming: Favorite Recipes from the Cowboy State, By Pamela Sinclair

I tweaked it further to create a delicious stew for a wintery night; serve with warm tortillas or cornbread.  Added condiments on the table to build your bowl upon: sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, thin sliced red cabbage, thin sliced radish and lime wedges. 

INGREDIENTS

    •    3/4 - 1 pound trimmed pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes

    •    2 teaspoon ground cumin

    •    Kosher salt, as needed

    •    Black pepper, as needed

    •    2 tablespoons canola oil

    •    1 large yellow onion, diced

    •    5 garlic cloves, minced

    •    4 cups chicken stock, low- sodium ( I used unsalted vegetable stock) 

    .        1/2 peeled butternut squash, 1-1 .5” cubes, about 1 1/2 c - 2c

  .        1 can (15-20 oz size) white hominy, drained

•    1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained

•    1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

    •    1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes; use Rotele with chiles if you can or mexican style tomatoes and chop as needed

    •    1 (15-oz) can corn kernels, drained 

    •    1 (4-ounce) can roasted green chiles (or jalepenos if you like it spicy!) 

    •    ½ bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped  

• Optional ( but recommended!):  1/3 c   1/2 & 1/2 for creamier base 

PREPARATION

    1    Season pork with cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside. Peel & chop squash & onion and open and drain cans.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add pork, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.

    2    Add onion to pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Return pork to pan, along with stock and squash, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

    3    Add beans, tomatoes, corn and chiles and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until stew has thickened, about 40 minutes. Add 1-2 tsp cornstarch slurry if needed to thicken.  Add cilantro and 1/2 & 1/2 if using, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with guests adding condiments to their bowls. 

Waiting to go snowshoeing 

Ahhh... bliss!  Thank you Mary! 

Well, my cat brother Jack came up on the deck today to get in on the action... free love from our MHL guests!  Cat sister Cracker missed out as Jack and I got all the pets and scratches!  #mountainlove 

Breaking trail with laughter and best pals! 

Weekend warriors trekking and breaking trail on the Overlook Loop!  Great times with friends from OR sharing Mountain Home Lodge fun with their visiting pals from OH!  Friends for life! 

Smile!  

Playing in the snow with my new pals... shooting selfies and having a blast! Love Millie