Cabin Cooking

No Stove yet. I hope to remedy that this weekend. Last weekend 3 local (by local - I mean the town my cabin is in) appliance stores were doing "inventory" - so the selection was not the best. Did they call each other and pick that weekend? And all that's left is the $1000 stove? Well I foiled their conspiracy and told them I would wait. We did think about buying a stove downstate and driving it up - but the weather has been iffy and Greg's back is not the best for heavy lifting. Anyways, wish me luck and I leave you with this recipe my mom gave me today - perfect for cooking at the Log Cabin!

Wildberry Crisp

• 5 cups fresh mixed berries
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cold butter, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Place fruit in 2 quart baking dish and stir in white sugar. Topping: in medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake at 375 degrees 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown. Enjoy!

Tracking sand into the Log Cabin

Hardwood floors are what typical log home buyers envision for their log home dream. (Among the stereotypical loft, stone fireplace, etc.) I was no exception. I just love my maple hardwood floors. I was beaming with pride when the appliance and carpet guys complimented them. But the one thing I forgot was all the sand we would be tracking in being on a sandy lakefront lot! (I don't believe in having grass and fertlizers if you're on the lake, it's too much risk in damaging the lake's ecosystem.) In one day my husband and I tracked in enough sand for a baseball field. I placed mats outside the door and right inside the entrance. Then purchased an area rug for the living room. Now I just need one for the dining area. But the final solution is going to be a brick or stone walkway leading up to the entrance. Greg put in mulch as a temporary solution -so that helped and stays within our current budget. The guy who dropped off the mulch said it best - to "take your time and do it right" - we can't buy everything at once. Smart guy!

P.S. I included a picture of what Sunday morning looked like at the Log Cabin. I thought it was stunning and made me realize how many more great mornings we have ahead of us.

Yard Holocaust at the Log Cabin

This week our lot was back filled and graded. The trees and other greenery were not affected on the lakeside - but the backyard (the side that faces the road) is what I now call a yard holocaust! Can you see how it highlights the propane tank nicely? Our neighbors (well they are a couple lots away) must despise us. Greg purchased some tree seedlings and bushes but you can tell from the picture that it will be quite a while before they reach a decent size. I'm going to head to the nursery and find some larger trees. I really love pine trees and blue spruces. Also toying with the idea of growing some blackberry bushes.

Tree Seedlings

For some reason today, I cannot upload pictures into my blog posting. Right now I'm sitting in the parking lot of a Bigby's coffee - up north - 30 degree weather - very windy. But being the blog junkie that I am, I had to do at least 1 posting today! Greg bought over 100 tree seedlings (some of these he is planting at his parents place to sell in the future) from the Otsego Conservation district. At our log cabin, we are going to plant some red pine, norway spruce, cedar and various flowering bushes that will encourage a wildlife habitat. Tomorrow I will post pictures. Right now the back of our lot looks like a nuclear holocaust as they finished the septic drain field and back filled the lot. Looking forward to some greenery!

Vote and win a subscription to the Country's Best Log Homes

I am addicted to reading Log Home magazines. The photos of other log homes are just stunning and the things dreams are made of. I've clipped many an article that had a great idea back in the days when I was just dreaming about my log cabin. My thought was one day I would need it! So now I'm asking everyone to vote and help me name my log cabin. Sandy is right - there should be a prize. (And thanks to Violet Lady - I'm using her idea of giving away a magazine subscription.) And whether you own a log home or not, I think you will enjoy the "Country's Best Log Homes." Please leave a comment here and a link back to your blog. I will do a random drawing on Monday, May 5th. Good luck and thank you for voting! (*Sorry, U.S. Residents only.)

Vote to name our Log Cabin!

I need a name for the Log Cabin! I have done relentless searches on the Internet, looked over names of Log Cabin Resorts (I thought Colorado would have had better names) and asked family and friend's opinion. It's so hard to decide. I'm trying to make the name meaningful to our Log Cabin site and our family. I've listed the reasons why I've chosen each name below. Please vote in the right sidebar. Thank you! (And if there is any other name you think I should consider, please post them here!)

1. The Loon's Nest (I love Loons and there's a nesting pair on our lake)


2. Tall Timbers (that is the name of our log home design)


3. Lone Pine Lodge (I only have 1 pine tree of any significant size on our property - hoping to plant more this summer)


4. Moose Tracks Cabin (I love moose)


5. Bradford Lake Cabin (Our cabin is located on Bradford Lake)

Naming the Log Cabin

I found this great website - Border Country Sign Company - www.bordercountrysign.com/index.html . What drew me to their site was information on naming your log cabin and the wonderful sign examples that they have. I like their quote in regards to naming your place "Own it, claim it, name it!" This is exactly what I would like to do for our place - instead of just saying to people "come on up to the log cabin." I want it to be meaningful and representative of our family. Our log cabin represents a way of life and I would like to convey that. Kara of Border Country Signs wrote an article for Midwest Outdoors Magazine and says:

"As your new guests search that cabin road for your vacation home, how easy it is to find you? With a welcoming sign at the end of your drivueway, it would be simple. Stake claim to your property and come up with a name that shows your less serious side! Your cabin is where you let your hair down and be a tad whimsical. There are no rules for creating a name. Something as simple as just your last name, "The Anderson’s" or "The Jone’s Cabin" is enough to show ownership. But this is something you could have a lot of fun with and I hope these tips will help. No one else needs to understand the meaning behind it, they just need to see it! (Just make sure your sign isn’t too small!)

Naming your property can be deemed similar to the process of naming your boat. People put a lot of thought into coming up with just the right title. This tradition has been around for centuries but nowadays doesn’t serve too much of a purpose, it’s all in fun. Folks will say that a boat without a name is like a dog without a bone and refer to it as an "orphan." The name christening process for a boat is to break a bottle of champagne on the bow. That is a ritual that I am sure takes place in many forms when the papers have been signed for that new cabin. "

I think I'll post our cabin name ideas for a vote by my visitors - so please watch for it this week. (I'm still trying to come up with a variety to choose from.) Kara at Border Country Signs was kind enough to give me permission to use information and pictures from her website. Check em out! Let me know what you think!