New Hampshire Primary

Living in New Hampshire provides an unbelievable peek into presidential primary candidates in a way perhaps only our friends in Iowa or maybe South Carolina can appreciate. Let's say ...it's really up close and personal as only the New Hampshire primary can be!

When we lived in NY or Connecticut or even Michigan and Maryland we rarely had such access to these candidates. Here in New Hampshire we have any number of opportunities to sit and ask questions, shake hands, have a cup of coffee and get to know a candidate. Staffers often reach out to us to ask us to host a coffee at the Colby Hill Inn to give our neighbors a chance to hear what the candidates have to say. On the other hand, we've seen some gatherings where the questions make us cringe....ah, maybe a little embarrassing, but definitely straight forward.

Primary campaigning is rough stuff for the candidates. Their big campaign buses may have all of the bells and whistles but even though New Hampshire isn't that large, attending 6 to 8 events a day can be grueling work and the buses are a common sight on I-93.

This morning we listened to Mitt Romney at a campaign rally in Derry, New Hampshire . Political candidates are almost like Rock Stars these days. On his way out of the rally, with rock music blaring, he was asked for photographs and autographs and he faced comments including everything from "Beat Obama" to "I'm from Bloomfield Hills " (my favorite as I am from Michigan too!) to questions on Cuba, North Korea, jobs and health care-- and this was as he was trying to exit the building! Here at the Colby Hill Inn we love the New Hampshire primary every four years. We get to interact with politicians, media, campaign staffers and students of political science and journalism. The buzz for many months and especially the final weeks leading up to the primaries is all politics all the time. The economy takes a big jump for those weeks including everything from hotels, inns, restaurants and local advertising.

St. Anselm in Manchester has an amazing media center and is the focus of the ABC News debate this evening. What a great opportunity for New Hampshire residents to watch the debate live and watch history happen.

We hope you'll take a look at the news next Tuesday when New Hampshire heads to the polls as the first primary in the nation . We're here in our quaint part of New Hampshire watching all of the campaign activities with interest ourselves and doing our small part to provide a great home away from home for our guests. To stay on the safe side and rather than get into any political conversations with our guests--we keep it to...."Would you like more coffee?" Hope you have a great January.

Colby Hill Inn Takes on the Med!

Our Culinary Wine Cruise was a great success and we really enjoyed everyone who joined us for this adventure! We all met up in Barcelona in early September and boarded the Liberty of the Seas for our 7-night Mediterranean cruise.

In Barcelona many came in a few days ahead to enjoy the city. We joined Maureen and Ray and Josie and Ken for a Tapas dinner with probably 15 different dishes plus Sangria!

Our first vineyard tour and tasting of the trip was at Chateau d'Aqueria in Tavel in the Provence region of France.

How often does the vineyard owner pick the warm grapes off the vine, hand them to you for a taste, let you walk the catwalk to peer into the vats of grapes as they are being fermented or watch the bottling and labeling machine in action! What a great experience this was followed by a brief but interesting visit to Avignon, home of the 11th century Pope.

We were on to other ports and had a most memorable visit to the Nozzole Vineyard in Tuscany as we went around and around the Tuscan hills of grapevines to the storage areas, barrel and bottle rooms and then to the villa for our tasting and lunch. This was the highlight of the trip for all!

The Villa was stunning! We were led

to a giant room with a long table covered in delicate linens and lined with wine glasses. We sampled multiple wines and listened intently to the commentary about Nozzole's history and the wine making process.

Then a relaxing walk in the sun around the breathtaking villa with amazing views, dangling our feet in the swimming pool, taking hundreds of pictures of the sunny Tuscan countryside before our lunch.

Lunch was served on the second floor of the villa around yet another expansive table (note the Murano Glass chandelier) overlooking the far hillsides of Tuscan villas and the vineyards in the distance...a gorgeous view. We were served a first-course of delicious meats, fresh tomatoes and crunchy garlic laced Italian bread with the vineyar'ds olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This was followed by a pasta with a rich tomato sauce, then a thinly sliced roast beef with fresh peas and finally a pistachio studded Biscotti that we dipped into a lucious dessert wine. Each course was paired with wine and the history of the wine, the grape varietals etc. were shared with us. This was a spectacular day!

On to other ports we visited including NIce, Rome and Naples. We toured Pompei, visited the Vatican, the Colliseum and the Sistine Chape;, took pictures throwing coins at the Trevi Fountain, shopped in St. Paul Defence and Eze, visited a perfume factory in France, dined al fresco while being serenaded in Sorrento and went to Capri! We even had time to squeeze in a visit to the cameo factory near Naples.

We finished off the trip with a restful sea day aboard the ship. We tried out mini golf, the casino, spa treatments, basking in the sun by the pool and had more wine and tapas in the Vintages wine bar. Our final treat was a private wine tasting aboard the ship before saying good bye over dinner the last evening.

Special thanks to Ken for your wine expertise, arranging our vineyard visits and your stunning command of the French language!

Amazing experiences, wonderful memories, delectable food and wines and most importantly, great friends to share this journey with! We hope you will join us again for our next adventure.

Mason and Cyndi, Innkeepers

Colby Hill Inn

Culinary Wine Cruise....Don't Miss this Trip!

We are really excited to be planning our Culinary Wine Cruise with Colby Hill Inn guests/friends and friends of friends! We are headed to Barcelona for a Sept. 10 seven-day Mediterranean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas.

This wonderful trip stops in Provence, Nice, Florence, Rome and Naples plus one day at sea to relax on the calm Mediterranean Sea as we return to Barcelona a week later.

Mason and I did this trip last fall and had an amazing time. We were asked by so many of our inn guests and friends about the trip, we decided to do it again and have you join us! If you like food, wine, history, architecture and the warm sunny days of the Mediterranean you'll love this trip. The ship itself is amazing with so many things to do onboard like surfing, the casino, spa, fabulous entertainment and great dining.

Ken Scupp of Kobrand (one of the largest wine and spirit companies in the world) will be joining us on this trip along with his wife Josie.

Ken will guide us through the vineyards, answer our wine questions and help to make this an amazing experience even for novice wine enthusiasts.

We'll visit the Nozolle Estate which is an historic 14th century villa just north of Greve in Chianti among 1000 acres of vineyards, olive groves and forest where we will enjoy an exclusive wine tasting tour and luncheon. A stop in the charming village of Greve follows our tour where we can enjoy some free time. We'll also visit Chateau d'Aqueria in the Rhone Valley which began in the 16th century for a VIP tasting and tour followed by a visit to Avignon while we are in the Provence area.

We've made it easy and included the cruise, taxes, fees, gratuities onboard, the two visits to the wineries including English speaking guide and coach transportation to the vineyards. The other ports you can follow along with us or go off on your own if you chose.

We've also arranged for a pre night in Barcelona and everyone who is joining us so far is staying atleast one night and some are staying two nights before the cruise. The Hotel Actual in Barcelona is a lovely boutique property in a terrific area of Barcelona. We love this city for its amazing architecture, beautiful beach, Picasso Museum and world renowned markets.

We really enjoyed the food markets, Gelato in Italy, the pastries, pasta and wines throughout this itinerary. Artwork, leather goods, aged balsamic vinegars, olive oil and so many more wonderful finds.

We hope you'll join us. There are still some available cabins...but hurry as it's going quickly. Just reach out to our travel agent Jodie at Happy Travels at 877-378-4097 or you can call Mason at the inn for more information at 800-531-0330. We've also got all the details on our web page http://www.colbyhillinn.com/ under food and dining.

We'll host a special get together at the inn early in the summer for everyone joining us on this trip with food and wines from the Mediterranean. We'll talk about options for shore excursions in the ports we'll visit, print out our boarding documents and we'll even have some special gifts for you!

Looking forward to sharing this wonderful experience with you!

Mason and Cyndi Cobb

It's Time to Do It!

Ok....the economy has been tough all the way around. We deprived ourselves in 2009, we stuck our toes in the 'do something nice for ourselves' water in 2010 and now...it's the winter of 2011 and we are asking ourselves if it's "OK" to take a vacation, splurge on a weekend away or even go out for a nice dinner.

It's time to do it isn't it? I don't know about you but the whole 'staycation' thing was a bad idea. No one wants to take trips to buy paint for the bathroom, eat out at a casual restaurant and call that a vacation just because we didn't go off to work each day. Even with the buzz word of 'staycation' which basically meant, we don't have enough money, we're worried about our jobs or we just can't take the risk of spending to go. We had to do what we had to do ....but it's time now to get away and make a plan...because, frankly we deserve it!

We are a nation of hard workers...and if you are of the baby boom generation, like us, our parents taught us to work hard and we will get ahead, to be a part of the team, to pay as we go (although the credit card bonanza kind of screwed that up). We were lucky to get a vacation at a cabin on a lake in our home state or more likely to visit family in another state. But times changed and the world opened up to us. Travel became available, affordable and we were thrilled to explore. Our generation had more expendable income than our parents and we sought to enrich ourselves through travel and leisure activities in a way our parents never would or could.

In the end, US citizens have the smallest number of vacation days than our counterparts in Europe. It hurts...we work long hours and our jobs often consume us. We need the time off...the rest, the time for exploration and relaxation. Not only is it good for us, but it's good for the economy. We buy the vacation or the getaway and we purchase new clothes, cameras, luggage and get our hair done (at least the gals!). We may stay at a hotel before a flight or cruise, rent a car or take a bus/train/car service to where ever we are starting our trip. We have to pay to have someone watch the dog, cat, pick up the mail etc. This translates to jobs for lots of people. Travel and vacations are good for the economy.

So this blog post is about encouraging you to dip your foot in the water in 2011. Take the trip you've wanted to take and/or do a few weekend getaways and explore new places ....but take the time to go. These times enrich our lives, our relationships with our significant other and expand our horizons. Not to mention great opportunities for the things you love to do, whatever that may be. Some of my favorite things are learning the fascinating history behind what I'm seeing, experiencing new foods, taking photographs so I have a permanent memory of my experiences and trying to learn about local culture and life.

There are opportunities for every kind of getaway and budget, from a weekend away within a few hours of home to a full blown trip to someplace far away. So what are you waiting for? Plan to go....somewhere...anywhere, together.....It's time to do it!

Romantic Celebrations...not just for Valentine's Day!

Ok...So it's the day after Valentine's Day. Did you give or receive chocolates, flowers, sparkly jewelry, a special greeting card or a romantic dinner? It's always a wonderful holiday but so much pressure for everyone! Thinking about this I've realized that we shouldn't celebrate our romantic holidays with our someone special just once a year! Why not throughout the year in 'smaller bites' (no food pun intended!)?

As innkeepers we have observed thousands of celebrations here at the inn. People celebrating weddings, engagements, birthdays, their anniversary and of course Valentine's Day....and many times couples wanting to reconnect with their love!

We take great care in helping to make those celebrations happen including placing diamond engagement rings under pillows in guest rooms, on their dessert plate or providing the perfect setting for reconnecting. We can live vicariously through them....and sometimes both of us get teary eyed at how happy these things have made our guests!

There's a high school friend on Facebook who has found her 'soul mate' after many years. Her terms of endearment on Facebook every day fascinate me. She's not a young, starry eyed girl.....she's on the high side of 50 but she's sharing her love for this man every day and telling us the little things she does for him.....it's very inspiring!

So I think my Valentine's Day going forward resolution is to show my someone special on a more regular basis (and not just once a year!) how important they are to me! A special dinner made at home, a romantic getaway (ok...come to the Colby Hill Inn and we'll help make it perfect) a note of sweetness on the bathroom mirror or maybe just making his favorite apple pie!

Next Blog: I promise to share the exciting details of our upcoming Culinary Wine Cruise with you!

Gotta Love Puff Pastry!

Having made thousands of breakfasts at the inn, one of my favorite things to 'play' with in the kitchen is Puff Pastry. We of course buy it in large flat sheets but you can buy it in the freezer section of your grocery store (Pepperidge Farm has the market cornered!) .

What I love about puff pastry is you can use it in so many different ways. For a savory or sweet dish there are dozens of uses. Here are a couple of my favorites that have been big winners at the Inn.

Strudel....one of our former chefs and I had so much fun coming up with new 'strudel' ideas using Puff Pastry that we joked we should rename the restaurant "Strudels"!

My favorite recipe is an apple strudel. Sometimes I'd make Apple/Pear Strudel or Apple/Cranberry---either one is delicious and easy to make. In fact, you can make it the evening before and wrap it carefully in plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pop it in the oven for a aromatic wake up call for your family.

Apple/Pear/Dried Cranberry Strudel
(quantities are estimates)

Peel, core and dice about 6 apples or pears
Saute lightly with about 4 TBSP Butter or Margarine
Add in 1/4 C Brown Sugar
Add in 1 -2 tsp Cinnamon
Cook until apples (or pears are soft)
Add in Dried Cranberries (soak for a few minutes in orange juice to plump)

Roll out a sheet of puff pastry with a little flour so it doesn't stick to counter top
(tip: as soon as it's rolled to correct size- place on parchment sheet on large cookie sheet)
Spread with 1-2 TBSP of softened Butter or Margarine
Place 1/2 of the apple mixture in the center third of the puff pastry
Fold one third of the puff pastry over the apple mix
Place the balance of apple mix on the top layer of puff and cover with remaining third of puff
Crimp edges with a fork
Place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet
Beat one egg with 1 tsp water
Brush top of puff pastry Strudel with egg Mixture
Sprinkle granulated sugar over top
Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 20 minutes, till Puff is lightly browned
Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then slice into 2" pieces, dust with powdered sugar


Ok. This isn't rocket science but we've been serving this dish at the inn as a breakfast entree for years and years...and it's always a hit...yet very simple and elegant.

Colby Eggs

Take a sheet of puff pastry (do not use a rolling pin on it) and unroll it till flat
Cut the sheet into equal squares (or if you prefer 'rounds') of approx 3 " or 3"
(Pepperidge Farms also makes pre formed round Puff Pastry Shells)
Place each on parchment paper on a cookie sheet
Bake for approx 8-10 minutes (watch your oven may be hotter than ours!) until puffed up and lightly browned.
Set aside to cool

Scramble Eggs (approx 2-3 per person) in a buttered pan
When eggs are at soft stage add in 1 or 2 TBSP of Boursin Cheese and mix to finish cooking
Mixture will be soft due to cheese

Take One square of Puff Pastry and Separate in 1/2
Spoon the Egg Mixture over one half of the Puff spilling a bit over the sides
Top with the other half of the Puff
Garnish with chopped chives or minced Parsley

Delicious!


Colby Hill Inn

Mason 4 - Squirrels 0

It's hard to believe that we are so close to our state capital (17 miles) and just 90 minutes North of Boston but we have many little 'critters' in our area. Most recently Mason has been trying to 'thin the herd' of squirrels on the inn property. He has a Have a Heart trap that he sets along with some delectable toast and peanut butter and then when caught, he transports them nearby about 5 miles away so they don't return.

As of now he's caught 4, but still looking for the last two or three that we see scurrying down the side of our house (for some reason they don't climb the inn buildings, just our house and the barn...must be they get better traction on barn siding!).

One evening a few years ago Mason and I were at the front desk and he looked out the front window and saw a moose running down our street with a car slowly following behind! It was the first moose we saw in New Hampshire.

Of course nothing beats the lovely family of skunks who decided that the Colby Hill Inn property was the ideal residence for them! They took great joy in coming out at night during the dinner hour and eating the birdseed around in the garden. This, of course delighted our English guests who had never seen a skunk before. This was before we had a truck and Mason safely caught them one by one in the Have a Heart trap, covered the trap with a blanket, bungee corded it to the roof of the Subaru and drove them off to their new home many miles from the inn. That was quite a sight!

Who knew that becoming innkeepers would involve dealing with squirrels, skunks, moose and a favorite of ours are the covey of Ring Neck Pheasants that show up on the outer edges of our property in the fall.

We found some racoons who also loved our birdseed and somehow found their way into our laundry room where they dined on fire starters. Finally, Mason brought out a bigger Have a Heart trap and took care of them as well. 10 + years of innkeeping has brought us lots of four-legged friends!

We can't forget to mention the beautiful birds on the property at the Colby Hill Inn. We write down all of the different varieties we or our guests see and so far we have seen over 50 different types enjoying our bird feeders right out the dining room windows.


Ah the joys of innkeeping. We look forward to Spring time here at the inn....soon we will be seeing (and smelling) the lush Lilacs on the property and the Forsythia. Hope you'll visit us soon....we promise- no critters! - Have a Happy Spring- Cyndi and Mason Cobb