The garage door at The Birdnest Inn was left open for one day to allow carpenters to work in the shade. Two industrious wrens have built a nest in an old dustpan on a shelf next to the door. Now, the garage door needs to stay open several hours a day as they complete their task and raise a family!
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The Birdnest Inn is filled with original works of art. This is a cypress "boat" created by John Geldersma, one of the artists represented. Handmade creations are exhibited throughout the inn.
Our Bird Condo was installed yesterday by Scott Odom! We're waiting for the first winged beauties to move in. This coincided with the bearded iris putting on a show. These were planted ten months ago.
This new grouping of bird houses will be hung for our feathered friends at The Birdnest Inn! They will be put in place after the storms go through Aiken, SC today.
This beautiful azalea is an early bird in our garden at The Birdnest Inn!! The large formosa azaleas are also beginning to open. Spring is upon us----Great time to visit Aiken, SC!!!
BLUEBERRY PANCAKES AND CHEESE GRITS Breakfast at The Birdnest Inn this weekend featured Blueberry Pancakes and our signature Cheese Grits. Pancakes made from blueberries grown on our property in a buttermilk pancake batter topped with pure Vermont Maple syrup!! The side of Cheese Grits, Nueske's bacon and fruit made perfect morning companions. Whole grain toast served with our homegrown and homemade jalapeno jam and blueberry jelly added a sweet finishing touch!!
Our salute to National Pie Day is a homemade Blueberry Cobbler, made using blueberries gathered from our bushes here at the farm. The cobbler smells heavenly due to the addition of ground clove, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and lemon zest. The blueberries were picked during the last week of June, 2021, and frozen using the Double-Freeze method, which keeps them tasting like they were freshly picked. Naturally, the cobbler will be served warm with Blue Bell Ice Cream's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. It's difficult to improve on this traditional dessert!
Homemade Cayenne Cheese Bites served this afternoon at The Birdnest Inn! Yes, they are spicy but why not? Served with a glass of wine or with a cup of specialty Forte Tea. Makes any afternoon so much better! Recipe:
Grate 1 lb of sharp cheddar cheese Soften 2 sticks of unsalted butter Using an electric mixer, blend butter and cheese until mixture is smooth. Add the following: 2 teaspoons salt, 1 large egg yolk, 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper. Continue blending in the electric mixer. When well blended, drop by teaspoons on an ungreased baking sheet---or pack mixture into a cookie press for a more festive look. Place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Use the leftover egg white to make a glaze by lightly beating and adding a pinch of salt. Brush the tops of each bite with the glaze. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. This is a recipe that I have been making and altering since 1971. Enjoy!! It's black gold time at The Birdnest Inn! As a dedicated organic gardener, I cherish this time of year! It's time to build up compost piles (black gold) to use in gardening over the next few years. I started the compost piles in February, locating them out of sight behind the chicken coop. There are three stacks---leaves, which compost the fastest, pine straw, which is much slower to break down, and a stack of large limbs/deadfall. It's truly sad and depressing to see so many plastic bags full of leaves ready to be picked up to go to a landfill. Mine are too large to place in bins, but it is simple to buy or build a compost bin and make your own black gold!
tex-mex migas served this morning at the birdnest inn. made with freshly layed eggs from our heritage-breed chickens, using green onions, anaheim peppers and cilantro from our garden! served with homemade salsa to top them off.
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Melinda Walton
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