I think some people worry about the cold. It is something to worry about for sure but it is also wonderful. People with allergies get relief and the ground freezes so people can ski anywhere. Snowmobilers can go in more places too. The best thing are the northern lights that often come with the colder weather and the sparkle of the snow. Last night the northern lights were unbelievable! There was one green swath that shot up into the sky like a spot light and the horizon was lit right up with an orangey hue. Seeing something so spectacular was an amazing feeling. I’ll be looking again tonight and trying again to capture it with my camera. My first attempt was unsuccessful. We’ll see what happens…hopefully, I’ll get a shot and be able to share the experience. Right now, I am going to start baking. I’ll be sure to share that!

I’ve mentioned these delectable delights before but it must me mentioned again. There’s nothing like a freshly baked maple scone and a cup of  St. Lawrence Valley Roasters coffee for breakfast. The coffee site is still under construction. It’s a long story….but if you see something you’d like or need a list of what’s available you can call or email. Tim will be happy to help you out. We’ve prepared and mailed several gift baskets and many pounds of coffee over the holiday season. Soon there will be a brand new upgraded, updated, website so that our customers can buy our coffee any time, anywhere! So, be looking for that.

North Fork Gifts is also becoming busier and busier. As the gift basket maker and crafter, Lisa has been making many hand made soy wax candles, soaps, lotions, scrubs and such. Her website is also a work in progress but you can purchase via www.northforkgifts.com or on etsy or art fire where she also has shops. The same goes….if there’s something you’d like that you can’t seem get the website to help you with, send an email and Lisa will be happy to help  you out. Don’t forget that I do custom orders too. www.northforkgifts.etsy.com  www.northforkgifts.artfire.com  As things progress I will be updating everyone so please do come back and check us out.

I will also take this time to thank everyone who has stayed at North Fork B&B, purchased our coffee and or gifts. We look forward to an even more productive year in 2011. Happy New Year!

www.northforkbandb.net  “ The place where everyone feels at home.”

Maple Sugar Scones

 3 cups all purpose flour

 2/3 cup granulated maple sugar

8 tablespoons very cold butter

1 tsp. baking powder

 1/2 tsp. baking soda

 1/2 tsp. salt

 2/3 cup buttermilk

 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

 1 large egg

2 Tbls. maple syrup to spread on scones before baking

 Maple crunchies OR granulated maple sugar (either may be sprinkled on scones before baking)

 Combine all the dry ingredients and wisk together. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, maple syrup and buttermilk and mix together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until the dough is shaggy. Place shaggy dough on a lightly floured board and knead 5-6 times. Form into a ball and flatten to about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush each with maple syrup and then sprinkle each with maple crunchies.Bake at 400 degrees on center rack of oven for 18 min. or until a toothpick

Maple Scones

We are very lucky to be able to get our maple products from the Orebed Maple Sugar Shack. These scones use granulated maple sugar, which they have and I put maple crunchies on the top for added flavor. Our Maple scones have been a hit for our breakfasts every time we’ve made them. The recipe will be on our recipe page if you’d like to try making these delicious scones.

This morning’s breakfast featured French Breakfast Muffins served with St. Lawrence Valley Roasters Baker Road Blend coffee. These muffins have a little bit of nutmeg in the muffin and after baking them they are topped with melted butter and dipped in cinnamon and sugar. Our guests just loved them! Once again, I will be putting the recipe on our recipe page so if you’d like to make them, go for it!

The batter is a little bit different and you need to be sure not to over stir when putting them together. Have fun with these tasty breakfast muffins.

On Friday, the last day of school and graduation, I came home from work and began baking for the market. On Saturdays throughout the summer I plan to be at the Green Market in Ogdensburg,NY. Saturday it rained. The rain really ruins Tim’s coffee labels. Tim left early and went down to the market only to find pouring rain. He had to return home. We plan to be at the market on Saturday July 3rd so if you’re in the area, please stop by. I do want to share what’s going to available so far. Hopefully, I’ll have even more to choose from by the time Saturday rolls around!

Here's the dough ready to go on the cookie sheet.

Here’s the finished chocolate chip cookie dough just before it goes onto the cookie sheet and into the oven to bake.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Baking in the Oven

The Finished Product!Frosting a Whoopee Pie

A Filled Whoopee Pie from Baker Road Bakery

The Finished Product

Just Out Of The Oven

Getting Ready To Market

 These photos were from last week when I was getting ready for the market we did yesterday.

Tim and I went to the farmer’s market in Ogdensburg today. I brought Baker Road Bakery Bread,cookies and blueberry muffins. They were gone almost as soon as I arrived! I wasn’t able to bake as much as I would have liked due to time constraints. I hope to have more available for purchase next week. We won’t be at the market on June 19th as we’re attending a workshop.

Lots of fresh, local foods are available at the market. You can get meat too. Tim and I are using local food and products for the B&B. It’s a lot of fun to network with other vendors. Baker Road Bakery will be using fresh local eggs. The weather held out pretty well today too. It was a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to next week. I’m hoping to bring cinnamon buns too! Hopefully, I’ll get some baking time in this week. If you’re in the area check out the Green Market in Ogdensburg.

North Fork Bed and Breakfast, located in St. Lawrence County, is the home of North Fork Gifts, Baker Road Bakery and St. Lawrence Valley Roasters. Our guests can enjoy a peaceful getaway, purchase something special from the area, drink freshly roasted coffee and take in the beauty here at North Fork when they come and stay with us. We are pet friendly and we have free wi-fi. Freshly made sourdough bread and baked goods are available too! We hope to see you when ever you come to St. Lawrence County!!

Well, I’m back and as promised, I have some photos from this morning when I prepared the sourdough loaves to rise. With my bread, you have to feed the base. The base is a potato base sourdough. After 12 hours, you make the dough. The dough rises for 12 hours and then you punch it down and make it into loaves. I took some photos so that I could show the process. It is a sweet tasting bread, contrary to it’s name. I make white and cinnamon swirl. I’ve been making this bread for 30 years now. It’s very popular at the farmer’s market. I will be going this Saturday to the Green Market in Ogdensburg. My husband Tim, will be going to the farmer’s market in Canton Friday to sell coffee. St. Lawrence Valley Roasters roasts the best coffee. You can go to his website and purchase or email him, calls are fine too.

North Fork Bed and Breakfast Sourdough bread after being punched down

This is being prepared as a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread.

This is what the bread dough looks like when it's being rolled out to make it into a loaf. After it's completely rolled out, starting at one end, you roll it up into a log.

This is what the dough looks like after it's rolled

Preparing the bread loaf

After crimping the ends you place it in the loaf pan to rise. In the warm summer months sometimes you can make an entire batch in a day as long as the base has been fed ahead of time. Otherwise, it takes about 36 hours to make the bread. As I’m writing right now, I have the first 3 loaves of white bread baking in the oven. I’m not sure I will be able to stay awake long enough to bake all of them but I’m going to try. I will take some shots of the finished bread as well to share. It certainly is tasty!! There’s nothing like it. After a while one becomes very spoiled by this bread. Guests at the B&B love it as toast and they love the french toast I make as well.

I know it’s been a few days since you’ve heard from me but believe me, it’s been for good reason. I opened another shop on Etsy. I debated about it for a while and then took the plunge. I’m not sure I want to keep the gift shop on Etsy open as it doesn’t seem that I’ve been selling enough to suit me. I’m not sure about this one either but I’m doing it anyway. My new shop is called Baker Road Bakery. Since I’m baking for 2 coffee shops and people love my baked goods, I thought it would be a good idea to put them on Etsy as well. I can reach more people that way. If the baked goods don’t begin to sell then I will know it’s not the right thing to do. I certainly have put my time in on the gift shop part. I figure, you don’t know if you don’t try. I can’t afford the time though if it isn’t going to pan out. I’ve been at it a year and I’m about to give up on it.

They are very yummy indeed. When I delivered more baked goods tonight, I was so surprised to see how many things were left from my original order. This was the first batch and I took another one tonight.