It seems like Memorial Day is the semi-official start to summer, and with some comes wonderful berries.  With wonderful berries come fabulous desserts.  Fabulous desserts make us think of DINE inns’ restaurants and afternoon refreshments, each using the freshest in local produce and products each and every day.  This brings us to sharing a wonderful recipe for a Fresh Berry Trifle from the Chesterfield Inn.  When the basket is brimming with berries this summer, plan to try this simple crowd pleaser.  And if baking isn’t your thing during the summer months, fear not because it’s ours! Plan your New England romantic getaway at a Distinctive Inn of New England, and you can be sure the way to your R&R will include your stomach!

Fresh Berry Trifle from Chesterfield Inn

First, make the sponge cake and custard sauce, as follows.

Sponge Cake

12 eggs, separated

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1/2 cup rum or Triple Sec

Beat egg whites to soft peaks and add 1 cup sugar. Add the other 1 cup sugar to the yolks and beat til light colored. Stir in flour, and booze, gently. Fold in the whipped egg whites. Butter a full size sheet pan. Put parchment on pan, and butter that. Spread batter in pan. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes. Cool on rack before removing from pan.

Custard Sauce

9 egg yolks

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 cups milk, scalded

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl over a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes until blended and light colored. Slowly add hot milk and stir over the heat with a wooden spoon. Custard is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove heat, add vanilla, and cool over a bowl of ice. Refrigerate.

To assemble the Trifle:

Slice and sugar 1 quart strawberries. Layer with 1 pint of blueberries and 1 pint raspberries with the sliced sponge and custard sauce in a clear glass bowl. Top with whipped cream. Serve chilled. Yum!

And speaking of great berry recipes, did you see the blog posting we did last year on how to make Blackberry Cobbler?  This recipe and step-by-step guide to the Gateways Inn & Restaurant’s Berry Cobbler might come in handy when you find your baskets overflowing with berries this spring and summer.  Simply click here for the recipe and photos of each step.

She’s there for the kids; she’s there for you 365 days a year.  Without Mom, your life simply wouldn’t be complete.  Whether she’s the grandmother to your kids, the mother-in-law to you or the love of your life to your 3-year-old, once a year Mom deserves more than a peck on the cheek and a nod.  She loves what she does for your family, but at the same time, it’s not without vigor and kindness that she dedicates her energies to her family.  This year, go beyond the usual flowers and jewelery; treat your dedicated Mom to DINE.  Whether it’s a dinner, getaway, spa treatment or all of those combined, Mom deserves a romantic escape to one of the ten Distinctive Inns of New England.

Here are the top ten ideas ways to wine and DINE Mom on Mother’s Day:

1. She insures you never go to bed hungry; treat her to the No-Hunger Games package at Deerfield Inn, complete with dinner out and a room at the newly re-opened Carriage House. You can insure that she is treated to special treats too.  She’ll love that proceeds from this package will help others in the community put hunger to bed too with proceeds benefitting local food banks. Click here for a complete list of No-Hunger Games packages at DINE member inns:
2. Take her to the special Mother Day Brunch at the Gateways Inn & Restaurant on Sunday, May 13^th.  Served from 11:30-2:00pm, Mom can DINE like a queen on omelets, smoked salmon, fresh fruit and much more.  It’s $25 per person; and $12.50 per child 12 and under.
3. Mom deserves a Hot Date every now and then, and Rabbit Hill Inn will make sure it happens for her.  Bring her to Rabbit Hill Inn Monday through Thursday through May 24 and it’s not only a hot date but a hot rate she’ll be treated to, plus all the wonderful extras that go along with a Rabbit Hill Inn stay including afternoon tea and pastries, and full candlelight breakfast including gratuities.  Hot Date rates start at $135 per night.
4. Relive Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn’s classic romance On Golden Pond with your own version of this award-winning movie thanks to Manor On Golden Pond.  Treat Mom to the On Golden Pond Package and she too can enjoy the call of the loons from a classic picnic boat while touring Squam Lake, the setting for this – her favorite movie.  Add in candlelight dinner, a picnic lunch and the movie on DVD, and you have the ideal way to relive the romance On Golden Pond way.
5. Sometimes Mom needs the kind of getaway where she can let loose and laugh with her gal pals.  The Girlfriends Getaway at the Grafton Inn will give Mom just the break she needs.  Tell Mom to grab 5 friends and then reserve one of the many houses or suites at the Inn.  The Girlfriends Getaway Package means she and her friends are treated to a guided wine and cheese hike at the nearby Grafton Outdoor Center, plus she can leave breakfast up to the inn – she chooses what she wants and there are no dishes to do either.  This package is perfect for 6 or more women.
6. Whether it’s massage, a pedicure or manicure, or hydrotherapy, give Mom the gift of relaxation at the Inn at Thorn Hill’s Spa.  There’s everything from couples massages and weekend long escapes to a day of beauty here.  From spa visits to dinner on the patio, the Inn at Thorn Hill can offer Mom just the right amount of relaxation and time out of the kitchen she deserves.
7. Mom worries about everyone else’s wellness but her own.  This year, give Mom the chance to recapture her own wellness through personal life couching, nutrition advice, a purifying facial and a take home Kit of Joy offered through the Personal Transformation Package at Captain’s House Inn.   Allow Mom the chance to step outside her day-to-day routine and find balance once again.  It’s the greatest gift you can give her.
8. Treat Mom to a Garden Getaway.  Give a gift certificate to the Camden Maine Stay where lavish gardens are just beginning to go into bloom.  She’ll lose herself in the paths and walkways through the gorgeous gardens here this summer.  Take a trip to nearby Cellardoor Winery for a picnic lunch, then a stroll into Camden’s eclectic downtown shops, and you’ll have the perfect combination for any Mom – Blooms, Blueberry Wines and bountiful bargains.
9. This Mother’s Day get Mom out of the kitchen and treat her to an epicurean adventure the Cliffside Inn Way.  It starts with a hand crafted breakfast featuring signature recipes she’ll be begging for.  No muss, no fuss afterward for her.  After a day of exploring the nearby Cliff Walk and Newport’s renowned mansions, return to the Cliffside for their signature afternoon tea or evening reception.  Both include lovely spreads and plenty of camaraderie from fellow guests.  She’ll love trying new foods and walking away from the dishes.
10. 10. If you didn’t bring Mom breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, fear not – you can still get out of the dog house with a visit to Chesterfield Inn.  Privacy is what it’s all about here, and if its breakfast in bed she wants, simply order your Chesterfield Inn breakfast to be delivered the night before, and it’ll be delivered when she’s ready the next morning.  Enjoy breakfast or dinner in the privacy of your own suite or patio overlooking the meadow filled with wildflowers behind the inn.

Visit www.distinctiveinns.com to find hundreds more ways to make Mother’s Day special for that special Mom in your life.

Spring sprang early this year, and after a dry April, May showers continue to bring beautiful flowers in and around DINE member inns.  Since a picture tells a thousand words, we thought we’d bring a breath of sunshine, budding flowers and trees to you today compliments of the members of Distinctive Inns of New England.  Next time you’re ready for a perfect New England romantic escape, complete with fresh flowers, think DINE!

Let’s start with our Northern-most member.  The Camden Maine Stay’s daffodils and forsythia offer a burst of sunshine even on a rainy day.

Spring has come to Western New Hampshire too.  These photos were recently sent from Chesterfield Inn where gardens are bursting with new color each day.

Moving on to the Cape, here’s a shot of the gardens from the Captain’s House Inn in late April.

The Cliffside Inn is sporting lots of new landscapting and many new gardens, and this is the year to see how they grow.  Here are some shots of the flowers from late April.

Spring brings rejuvenation after the devastation from Hurricane Irene in Deerfield, MA.  Hope springs eternal as new life returns with flowering trees and gardens around the Deerfield Inn.  Construction is well underway on a new Deerfield Inn, expected to fully open this fall.  In the meantime, rooms at the Carriage House will open very soon.  Stay posted for construction specials at the Deerfield Inn.

Over in Vermont, tulips are in full bloom.  Check out the the gardens in front of the Grafton Inn.

And here’s more from the gardens at the Rabbit Hill Inn.

Even on a gloomy and rainy day, gardens at Distinctive Inns of New England bring a ray of sunshine.  Come see them in person while they continue to bloom throughout May.

Rejoice Katniss and Peeta. While the Capital might have its version of the Hunger Games, our ten districts are dedicated to insuring that hunger is as far from its guests and the community’s mind as survival is at the forefront in the hit trilogy and movie, The Hunger Games.  Survival of the fittest is the name of the game for Suzanne Collins and her Hunger Games characters, but here survival of the savory is more like it for Distinctive Inns of New England who have created culinary packages insuring that hunger is not a concern for travelers or those in their communities.  Each of the seven No Hunger Games packages created by members of Distinctive Inns of New England offer luxury accommodations (no sleep syrup needed there!) sumptuous hand crafted breakfasts and afternoon refreshments which guests need not fight to the finish for.  Best of all, to insure that no one in the community has to fight hunger, each package benefits a local food pantry or no-hunger cause in the towns and regions where the inns are located.

For a complete guide to all the details, pricing and inclusions of the Distinctive Inns of New England’s No Hunger Games packages, visit http://www.distinctiveinns.com/getaways/no_hunger_games_packages.shtml . Here is a glimpse of these gastronomic getaways, a portion of which will benefit local food banks and hunger relief causes.

MASSACHUSETTS

Put your hunger to rest at the Captains House Inn, Chatham, MA:  Take advantage of the No Hunger Games package where your taste buds will enjoy a gastronomic journey of favorite purveyors on the Cape, and the community will benefit too.  Book the 2 night package including daily breakfast, high tea, a $50 restaurant gift certificate, a self-guided eating and drinking tour of the Cape and all taxes starting at $525. A portion of the package will the Chatham Food Pantry.

Deerfield Inn re-opens and eases hunger too, Historic Deerfield, MA: While still under construction after a revolutionary flood toppled their empire last fall, the first twelve rooms have now re-opened at the Deerfield Inn for guests.  Guests will be treated to a two-night stay in carriage house rooms, continental breakfast delivered each morning, and a special incentive to local restaurants.  No lottery needed for tickets to Historic Deerfield’s museum houses, they are included in the No Hunger package.  Return home each afternoon after your adventures in the outdoor arena to a tribute of freshly baked cookies.  While the district is under construction, work crews will be busy readying the main inn Capitol. In this Panem, many more than just one will survive!   The No-Hunger Games package is specially priced to$284 per couple while construction on the Deerfield Inn district and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the local food bank.

Gateways Inn & Restaurant establishes its No Hunger policy, Lenox, MA:  Stay two nights and you will survive! You will be fed, you will be pampered and you will prevail. You will also help the less fortunate combat their own hunger with this 2 night getaway including accommodations, breakfast each day, dinner one night plus evening platters and wine at the new piano bar.  Add in bedtime chocolate and tickets to a Shakespeare & Co show all for $750 per couple.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to fight hunger at the Pittsfield Food Pantry.

MAINE

Hunger Games Survival Lunch Package from Camden Maine Stay Inn, Camden, ME: Come to Camden for a No-Hunger game where survival is guaranteed. The Camden Maine Stay No-Hunger package includes 2 nights lodging, a gourmet breakfast each morning, a Survival lunch to explore the Camden District in a handy backpack, starting at $315 per couple.  Proceeds benefit the AIO Food Pantry.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

No hunger allowed at Chesterfield Inn, West Chesterfield, NH: Chesterfield Inn is in the No Hunger District.  That means no one needs to steal from the food supply or go to bed hungry or cold!  The No-Hunger Games package includes dinner for two, cheese plate, bottle of wine, a dozen chocolate covered strawberries and a full breakfast all for $180 plus the cost of the room.  Some of the proceeds from this package will benefit Joan’s Pantry in Chesterfield.

Sweet Victory and No Hunger Games in Holderness from Manor On Golden Pond, Holderness, NH: No need to be seen by all in the arena.  Privacy for two nights in luxury accommodations with opulent bed linens means no need for sleeping syrup here.   Awake the next morning to a lavish breakfast served fireside then take a self-guided hike up Rattlesnake Trail nearby. Enjoy your picnic lunch. Return for afternoon tea and a romantic fireside dinner.  All this starts at $700 excluding NH 9% tax.  A portion of the proceeds from this package will be donated to Helping Hands Hunger Bank of Plymouth New Hampshire to help put hunger to bed throughout the Lakes Region district.

VERMONT

Rabbit Hill Inn, Lower Waterford, VT No Hunger Games Easy Survival Package: Your name has been drawn and you are to report to the Capital of Rabbit Hill Inn. In this story, however, you are the chosen one. The rules of the game are simple: enjoy two nights of luxurious accommodations, savor multiple sessions of fine dining and snacking from an easy-to-access cornucopia of menus, challenge yourselves on an adrenaline pumping zipline adventure (including 5 thrilling ziplines, The “White Knuckle” 80’ drop, and zip speeds up to 50 mph) and show them who’s the victor, sip champagne and toast each other as the brave and victorious Tribute couple! This package will satisfy your hunger for a great multi-dimensional escape with adventurous fun, terrific dining, romantic and luxurious environs, all while helping to support the Capital, i.e. the Vermont Food Bank.  The package starts at $835 per couple.

For a complete description of each No Hunger Games package with all inclusions, rates and valid dates, please visit http://www.distinctiveinns.com/getaways/no_hunger_games_packages.shtml.

Distinctive Inns of New England is a consortium of ten sophisticated inns offering luxury accommodations and culinary adventure.  Most inns are under 3 hours drive from one another (some much less), creating the perfect New England itinerary.  For more information on Distinctive Inns of New England (DINE) visit www.Distinctiveinns.com.

Distinctive Inns of New England has added a new member in Vermont.  The Grafton Inn joins the nine other DINE properties to offer romantic getaways steeped in historically preserved inn with plenty of Vermont outdoor adventure added in.  One of the oldest operating inns in America, having opened its doors in 1801, the Grafton Inn is located in historic Grafton, Vermont.  Much like the Deerfield Inn, the Grafton Inn is part of the nonprofit Windham Foundation which is dedicated to preserving the vitality of Vermont’s rural communities. As an added bonus to your romantic escape, a stay with here also helps to fund the Foundation’s many philanthropic programs.

Pick your room type here; there are plenty of them.  Offering 45 guest accommodations in inn rooms and suites, cottages and rental houses, there are plenty of modern amenities travelers seek today, yet they are beautifully presented in historically preserved surroundings.  It’s the perfect place for families to gather for adventure or family reunions and weddings, Pets are welcomed in some of the rental houses and if you plan to travel with your horse there are even three 12 x 12 box stalls available .  Right now the Grafton Inn is completing its spring break; book rooms any time after May 1, 2012.

The year round Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center offers 2,000 acres of amazing scenery, trails and grounds. As a guest of the Inn, you enjoy complimentary trail use at Grafton Ponds. In the summer, enjoy mountain biking, trail running, a bike terrain park, hiking, canoeing, fly-fishing instruction, swimming, Frisbee golf, biathlon and summer kids camps for ages 5 through 16 years. Plus, for more than 20 years, Grafton Ponds has been home to the Vermont Symphony Orchestra concert and fireworks under the stars every July 3. In the winter, enjoy 15 k of tiller-groomed Nordic skiing (with 5 k of snowmaking), another 15 k of backcountry skiing, 10k of snowshoeing, a biathlon course, and a 600-foot snow tubing hill, along with a myriad of special events and programs, including the popular Wine & Cheese snowshoe tours. While trail use and many of the recreational options are free, equipment rentals, guided tours and lessons and camps are an additional charge.  Additionally, when staying at the Grafton Inn check out the fitness room, game and TV room, or visit nearby Grafton Village Cheese Company, producers of handcrafted aged Vermont cheddar cheese.

Sustainable cuisine is the name of the game here. The Grafton Inn is famous for its imaginative cuisine, thoughtfully prepared with fresh locally sourced food and exploding with flavor. A hearty, healthful breakfast is included in your stay. In the evening, casual dining at the Phelps Barn Pub, complete with live music on Saturdays, or candlelit fine dining in the historic Old Tavern Restaurant means you can pick your cuisine to match your mood.  In keeping with its commitment to farm-to-table dining, the Grafton Inn maintains a bountiful kitchen garden which supplies fresh, organic and heirloom produce to inn’s restaurants. The inn belongs to the Vermont Fresh Network, a farmer-chef partnership program started by the New England Culinary Institute and the Chef’s Collaborative, which supports local, artisanal and sustainable cuisine.

The Grafton Inn joins the nine other Distinctive Inns of New England in offering sophisticated accommodations with historic significance.  Complete with decidedly distinctive cuisine, the amenities discriminating travelers seek in scenic locations throughout New England, the ten Distinctive Inns of New England look forward to welcoming guests for romantic getaways, special packages and celebration vacations this summer.

Guests always enjoy some R&R in the Main Tavern Library. Grafton Inn photo.

Here's Guest Room 11 in the Main Tavern Building. Grafton Inn photo.

Move aside Flat Stanley; your traveling days are so three-weeks-ago.  It’s true.  Flat Stanley’s role has been been usurped by the Red Chair.  The Red Chair is quickly taking on a personality of its own.  Long considered simply a place to rest one’s buttocks, this lowly wooden chair has been elevated to celebrity status, and one that has been welcomed at inns and B&B throughout Cape Cod, including DINE’s own Captain’s House Inn.   Today the Cape, tomorrow New England! The Red Chair has captured the imagination of DINE members who hope to welcome it to their inns for for New Hampshire escapes, Vermont getaways, and Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island romantic vacations.

The Red Chair started out as a simple addition to the porch furniture at the Woods Hole Inn.  One day innkeeper Beth Colt shot a few photos of the Red Chair and its infamy was born.  Photos of the Red Chair were compelling enough to capture attention from artists coast to coast.  Beth decided if the Red Chair was intriguing enough for her inn it would be even more fun to send it on a journey across Cape Cod.  The Captain’s House Inn enthusiastically signed on to host the chair and took it on a journey throughout Chatham.

Throughout its journey, the Red Chair has developed quite a personality.  While visiting Captain’s House Inn we learned of its pension for bars and banana jelly beans, for example.

Becoming quite accustomed to posing, the Red Chair soon sought out scenic settings for its portraits in and around Chatham.

With a flair for the drama, the Red Chair ended its journey back where it started alongside the Captain House Inn’s signature wagon wheel, proving that old fashioned symbols for inns and B&Bs like doilies and teddy bears have been replaced by cool personality-filled symbols like Red Chairs.

Stay tuned for future DINE blog posts when the Red Chair ventures throughout New England and visits other DINE members.  Meanwhile to follow the journey of the Red Chair, visit www.redchairtravels.com.

Look for red, blue, white, yellow and green chairs at DINE member inns throughout New England. This is the time to start thinking about your own summer journey while there’s still plenty of availability during busier summer months. n

DINE member inns are putting the spring in spring cleaning, taking it one step futher with everything from facelifts in rooms to new construction.  As nails pound away at what will soon be a totally new look to the restaurant and rooms at the Deerfield Inn, the finishing touches have been put on rooms at the Camden Maine Stay and Cliffside Inn.  Stay tuned to the DINE blog for future postings on new rooms and updates at other member properties and it’s never too late to start planning your romantic New England getaway at any of the ten DINE member inns.

Last fall, a five foot wall of water flooded the Deerfield Inn, which has been closed for rennovations since.  After spending the winter planning all new dining rooms and guest room updates, work is now underway for a whole new look for the Deerfield Inn. Look for photo updates on the post-Hurricane-Irene construction at the Deerfield Inn as a brand new dining room, bar area and rooms are unveiled over the next few months.  Here’s a look at construction taking all parts of the lower level and first floor down to bare bones.

Recently the Camden Maine Stay updated the Dogwood Room, adding new wallpaper and decorative updates.  It now sports a spring-like look and continues to be a favorite guest room choice for guests.  Spring has come to Camden, and soon the dogwood outside will match the festive dogwood look inside in this guest room!

The Dogwood Room prior to its new facelift - here's the BEFORE photo

Here's the Dogwood Room after all new wall treatments and decor.

The Cliffside Inn has spent the last 15 months updating, rennovating and refurbishing every guest room and common area at this grand Newport B&B. The all-new Cliffside Inn is beautiful.  Just last week the last room was finished.  The Carriage House has gone from a garage storage area to a brand new welcoming guest room, offering a spacious guest room and lavish bath in keeping with the guest rooms throughout the inn.  Check out the sliding door from the guest room to the bath.

Located adjacent to the main inn building, the Carriage House is Cliffiside Inn's newest room to come online.

Everyone loves the very cool double sink and the glassed in shower here.

April showers mean plenty of snuggle time by the fire at your favorite Distinctive Inns of New England.  Mother Nature is fickle in New England; we all know that after a week of weather in the 80s followed by snow in the mountains!  This is the ideal time to get away for some real R&R and that romantic New England escape you owe yourself at your favorite DINE inn.  Plan to do nothing but sit in front of the fire, read that book you really want yet haven’t had time to get to, or just spend time together catching up.  We’re approaching “quiet time” at Distinctive Inns of New England, which means availability for your favorite room and spring rates too.  Come join us for some pampering and celebrate spring with a snuggle.  Fireside setting comes complimentary with your stay!

While we know you wish you could get away each and every weekend and dine at one of the Distinctive Inns of New England, but we’re also aware that won’t work for most schedules. Thus, we share a few of our favorite recipes for traditional spring dishes with our compliments.  Try your hand at Rabbit Hill Inn’s signature rack of lamb, followed by English Garibaldi Biscuits, perfect for Easter morning from Captain’s House Inn.

Rabbit Hill Inn Lamb Rack with Herbed Dijon Crust and White Truffle Tomato Cream (serves eight)

Ingredients:  

4-8 bone lamb racks

½ cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup white wine

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbls garlic, minced

¼ cup freshly chopped herbs

3 Tbls white truffle oil

½ cup tomato puree

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup brandy

½ cracker or bread crumbs

1 shallot, minced

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

• Combine mustard, wine, olive oil, 1 Tbls garlic, herbs, and salt & pepper in bowl and combine with bread  crumbs.
• Salt and pepper lamb racks to taste and sear till browned on eye side of rack
• Put lamb in roasting pan seared side up and rub with Dijon crust.
• Roast in 400°F oven for 12 to 25 minutes or till internal temperature reaches 135° F.

For the tomato cream:

• Combine shallots and 1 Tbls. garlic      in sauté pan with enough oil to sweat them.
• Add brandy to deglaze.
• Add tomato puree and cream.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Allow to reduce by half and whisk      in truffle oil.
• Serve warm over roasted lamb racks

English Easter Garibaldi Biscuits from Captains House Inn

Ingredients:

4oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

4oz butter, softened at room temperature

1 free-range egg, separated

8oz plain flour, sieved

good pinch mixed spice

2oz currants

1oz candied peel

3 tbsp milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven 325F. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until well combined.
3. Fold the flour into the mixture, then stir in the mixed spice, currants and candied peel. Stir in enough milk to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface and cut out the biscuits with a fluted cutter. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush with the reserved egg white, sprinkle with sugar and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
6. Remove the biscuits from the tray and set aside to cool on a wire rack

We know there’s plenty of waste in our government, and that’s simply a crime. But what’s worse is that $3.4 billion in vacation time was thrown away in 2011, according to a survey by Expedia.com.  Now that’s really criminal!  Go ahead, waste money on $2 million dollar toilet seats and expensive congressional junkets, but don’t waste it on our precious vacation time, say all the members of Distinctive Inns of New England!

In a story outlined on CNN.com, the trend toward throwing away an average of 2 vacation days a year was revealed via a survey conducted by Expedia.com.  While that may not seem like a lot when you consider it collectively it really adds up. According to CNN, altogether, Americans gave up 226 million unused vacation days in 2011, a trend that has remained consistent for the last two years.  “Considering that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average full-time worker earns $39,416 a year — that’s $34.3 billion worth of time,” claims CNNMoney.com.

Expedia’s Vacation Deprivation online survey polled 7,803 workers in 20 countries.  While France tops the list at 30 days of paid vacation on average for workers, only Asian countries lag behind the U.S. for R&R.  According to the survey, in Japan workers earned an average of 11 days a year and used just five.

OK, we’ll buy the first reason travelers feel they must give up vacation days.  According to Expedia’s study, a lack of money was the primary reason travelers gave up their vacation time.  However, we cringe when we hear the second reason.  “Lack of planning” was the second most prevalent excuse for leaving vacation time on the table, according to the Expedia survey.

We are writing this posting now that you still have more than eight months in the year to plan your vacations and getaways.  Don’t be robbed by vacation deprivation, a term Expedia loves to coin.  Repeat after us here at DINE.  “I will get away at least three times this year”.  “I will get away” should be your mantra each morning after you wake up and right after you thank the world for another lovely day!

Say goodbye to the holiday ho-hum and say hello to exquisite escapes.  Dispense with diversion-dearth and embrace distinctive departures. More succinctly said, start planning now.  We hope you’ll choose a getaway to Distinctive Inns of New England, but whatever you do, promise us you won’t leave any vacation time behind.

To make things a little easier, start by consulting the Specials and Packages options for romantic New England getaways at www.Distinctiveinns.com. Don’t see your perfect escape there?  Call your favorite DINE member inn and start planning now for spring, summer, fall and holiday getaways.

Don’t worry, we’ll be sending a few additional reminders throughout the year.  Stick with us, baby, and you won’t leave any vacation time behind this year!  Wouldn’t a few days away right about now feel pretty good?

Soak in a tub

Enjoy a couples massage

Enjoy breakfast in bed

Enjoy fireside fine dining

We simply can’t let National Chocolate Month go on much longer without a few more recipes celebrating America’s passion (and DINE’s) too without a few chocolate recipes from New England’s distinctive inns.  Step aside packaged cookies. We’ll go up against Girl Scout cookies any day. Each day members of Distinctive Inns of New England roll out the cocoa carpet to welcome guests with delicious hand made and fresh chocolate treats at tea time, cocktail time, even breakfast time.  We asked DINE members to share a few recipes with us.  Today we’re sharing 2 recipes for chocolate cookies that bring guests back asking for more. We add these to our choco-collection of recipes and suggest also checking out the Chocolate Orange Pyramid we posted back in February from the Rabbit Hill Inn.

Chocolate Digestives – Captain’s House Inn

Ingredients

1 Sleeve (16 oz.) Plain Digestives

3/4 Cups Butter

4 tsp. Light Brown Sugar

4 tsp. Cocoa Powder

2 Tbsp.  Golden Syrup or Honey

3 Bars  Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate

Method

Place the digestive biscuits in a sealed plastic bag and crush with rolling pin; set aside.  Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa and syrup in a saucepan.  When melted, remove from heat and add crushed digestives.  Fold until crumbs are fully coated. Place into a greased 9×13-inch baking tin and refrigerate until hard.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler until smooth and pour over biscuit mixture.  Refrigerate until set.  When set, cut into squares and store in refrigerator.

Makes 24 digestives.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies from Cliffside Inn

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (I’ve used light and they turn out fine).

1  1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (or extra vanilla if you are out of hazelnut)

1/3 cup Nutella

1/3 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth – approx. 2minutes. Add the extracts and beat for another 30 seconds or so. Add the Nutella and beat until smooth.

With the mixer running, add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk, mixing until combined completely, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix completely. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (and as long as 2-3 days).

When you are ready to bake the cookies, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet, allowing about 2″ between the dough balls. Lightly press the dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass (or fork) and then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are crackly on top and soft, but starting to set.

Remove from the oven and allow them to stand for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Consider adding a few chocolate chips if you are a true chocoholic.