Monthly Archives: December 2009

duluth bed and breakfast firelight inn specials

Travel to Duluth for The Firelight Inn’s 2010 Birthday Celebration

December 30, 2009 – 2:55 am


Goodbye 2009 and hello 2010! We’re celebrating 2010 all year long with monthly specials, a “Weekend with the Masters” event, open house and, as always, amazing you with delicious food, gracious hospitality and over-the-top service at our Duluth Bed and Breakfast Inn.

2010 marks the 100th birthday of our historic home built by George G. Barnum. In his honor, we are celebrating each month with a different special offer.

January 2010 – Reserve your two-night stay at The Firelight Inn and receive two complimentary tickets to the Fairlawn Mansion in Superior, Wisconsin. Overlooking the bay and Lake Superior, the estate of industrialist and Superior’s second mayor Martin Pattison. Built in 1890, the 42 room mansion recalls the elegance and prosperity of the town’s boom town days, as well as a children’s home. Open seven days a week year round.

February 2010 – The month of love and romance at The Firelight Inn! Your two-night stay includes chocolate covered strawberries delivered to your suite!

March 2010 – We want you to rest and relax during your stay at The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek. During the month of March, 2010 when you reserve a two-night stay, we will deliver a Firelight Soup Supper with fresh bread and a bottle of wine to your suite one of the evenings of your stay. The guest favorite is Chicken Wild Rice Soup but we can make arrangements for a special diet if needed.

April 2010 – We are excited to offer you our “Weekend with the Masters” on April 16-18, 2010. This specialized art, food and lodging weekend experience offers you the opportunity to spend time in the studio of award winning Master Printmaker, Cecilia Lieder, learning about and creating your own prints, along with the delicious food and wine from Master Chef Scott Graden of the New Scenic Cafe, and the unsurpassed hospitality and luxurious accommodations of The Firelight Inn. Your weekend includes a welcome reception at The Firelight Inn to meet the artist, with appetizers and wine from the New Scenic Cafe on Friday night. On Saturday after a full breakfast you will spend the day with Cecilia Lieder at The Northern Prints Gallery for professional instruction in printmaking. You will enjoy a delicious box lunch prepared by the New Scenic Cafe at the artist’s studio and gallery. On Saturday evening, Scott Graden will prepare dinner at The Firelight Inn to be served in the gorgeous Firelight dining room. On Sunday after breakfast you will have the option of returning to The Northern Prints Gallery to make any finishing touches on your project and/or to experience a gallery tour. The $995 fee includes two nights lodging, Friday night reception, two breakfasts, Saturday box lunch, Saturday night gourmet dinner, in-studio printmaking workshop, materials and artist’s fee and all taxes for two people. For more information about printmaking go to www.northernprintsgallery.com and for all the details of a fine dining experience at New Scenic Cafe on the North Shore go to www.newsceniccafe.com. Reservations must be made by calling The Firelight Inn at (888)724-0273.

May 2010 – The “Suite of the Month” special offer. Our most historic Barnum suite is featured in May and the lodging rate is $167 in honor of Mr. Barnum’s birthday. You must request the “Suite of the Month Special Offer” when making your reservation online or on the telephone in order to receive this special offer. This special offer is not valid with gift certificate redemption or any other special offer.

We will be posting more specials in 2010 for the rest of the year to include more “Suite of the Month” and our Open House scheduled for 10/10/2010 in honor of Mr. Barnum’s 167th birthday–suites that night will be $167!

You must request the special offers when making your reservation online or on the telephone in order to receive them.

We are so looking forward to greeting returning guests and meeting many new guests in 2010. We hope to see you on your next trip to Duluth!

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeepers/Owners
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast

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Christmas at The Firelight Inn Duluth Bed and Breakfast

December 25, 2009 – 5:45 pm




It’s Christmas Day in Duluth at The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast. The wind outside is the only sound I hear right now. The tree limbs and branches in the yard are abundant. The temperature is 34 degrees in our driveway and Canal Park. That isn’t helping the heavy laden trees and bushes in our yard.

It is a day to celebrate! Today a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord! Joy to the world, let earth receive her King!

Enjoy the pictures of some of our handmade ornaments on the big red Christmas tree in the formal living room of the Inn. Yarn Santa, wooden clothespin soldiers, clay ornaments, ice cream cones, walnut strawberries, macaroni angels and more. Over the years I have made many precious ornaments that adorn our Christmas trees.

Joy will spend her day figuring out the MP3 player that she got from Jim for Christmas! Or maybe reading the new John Grisham book she received! I doubt whether son Nathan will travel from Minneapolis today–hopefully we’ll greet him and his girlfriend Kendra tomorrow.

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas Day! When you need your next getaway to Duluth, we welcome you to experience The Firelight Inn!

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeepers/Owners
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek

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Winter Solstice

December 21, 2009 – 6:45 pm

The term “solstice” is derived from the Latin term meaning “sun stands still”. Today the winter solstice happens at 12:47 p.m. and we will begin having longer days and shorter nights at The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek in Duluth, Minnesota.

The sunrise over Lake Superior is amazing from our Barnum Suite, Isle Royale Suite or Superior Suite this time of year. With the leaves off the trees, you can see the lake in all its spendor. Waking up before the sunrise at The Firelight Inn is difficult because our featherbeds are so comfortable and really cuddle you with warmth and comfort. The smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen at The Firelight Inn may awaken your senses and tickle your appetite in the anticipation of breakfast arriving outside your door.

The winter solstice must affect the animals too. We have viewed many deer outside our windows pawing up apples from underneath the snow and meandering along the frozen Oregon Creek.

Today is the shortest day of the year–make it a good one! If you are running behind, we have a special offer on Firelight Inn gift certificates for holiday giving. We hope to see you on your next trip to Duluth!

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeepers/Owners
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek

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The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast Christmas Cherry Bread Recipe

December 20, 2009 – 9:15 pm

One of our guests favorite’s during the Christmas season is our Cherry Bread. This bread is a delightful addition to any holiday breakfast or brunch menu. Stay at our Duluth Bed and Breakfast and enjoy this bread along with a hearty breakfast delivered to your suite to enjoy by the firelight! Suites are available for New Year’s Eve!

Firelight Cherry Bread

½ cup liquid crisco
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup maraschino cherries (cut in half and half again)
½ cup maraschino cherry juice
juice of one orange
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all and bake one hour at 350 degrees. (We put the batter in mini bread pans and bake for ½ hour.)

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeepers/Owners
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast

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Breakfast Ideas from The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Duluth Bed and Breakfast

December 12, 2009 – 5:30 pm


We like to share our breakfast ideas from The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast in Duluth, Minnesota. One of our guests’ favorites is Port Wine Blueberries and Cream. We freeze blueberries from our summer stock and use them all winter long in breakfast entrees, muffins and scones, and fruit dishes.

Port Wine Blueberries and Sour Cream

1/2 cup port wine, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 pints blueberries
sour cream

In a medium saucepan, boil 1/2 cup of the port wine and the sugar for three minutes to cook off some of the alcohol. In the meantime, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup port wine, vanilla and cornstarch. Add it to the pan and cook until clear, about three more minutes. Add one pint of the blueberries and continue to cook until the sauce thickens and the blueberries soften. Let cool and add the other blueberries. Serve with a healthy dollop of sour cream.

Winter is a great time to enjoy Duluth and all that it has to offer. Our specialty at The Firelight Inn is delivering your full, hearty, gourmet breakfast to the privacy of your suite where it can be enjoyed by the firelight! We love to serve at the dining room table too. We’ll discuss our breakfast options with you when we check you in to your luxurious suite at the Inn. Please feel free to take a peek at our sample breakfast menus that we offer at our Duluth Bed and Breakfast website.

It is the “quiet season” at the Inn and the holiday decorations are all aglow! We hope to see you on your next trip to Duluth!

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeepers/Owners
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek

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Enjoy Winter Sports Near Lake Superior and The Firelight Inn Bed and Breakfast

December 8, 2009 – 12:30 am

The snow and cold is finally on its way to The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek and Lake Superior and Duluth, Minnesota. There is a storm watch through Thursday morning for the Duluth area. So if you enjoy winter sports we have a few suggestions on planning your winter adventure.

Vertical Endeavors leads introductory ice climbing trips to the frozen waterfalls and ice cliffs on the North Shore. Some towers of ice are up to 175 feet tall. Ice axes, ropes and crampons are the tools used in ice climbing.

Hang 10 on Gitchigumi! Great Lakes surfers ride almost every month of the year on Lake Superior. They use thick wet suits, gloves, hoods, and booties to protect against the bitter cold. The Superior Surf Club can assist you in the winter surfing on Lake Superior.

The University of Minnesota Duluth’s Outdoors Program leads river skiing trips January through March. Participants rope together to skirt open water and navigate upstream on a labyrinthine course of frozen river gorges along the North Shore. Pick from more than 50 whitewater streams that cut a path through the Sawtooth Mountains and rush to Lake Superior.

There is always the Polar Bear Plunge in Lake Superior in early January to raise money for the Special Olympics Minnesota. Dress in your favorite costume and take the plunge!

Spirit Mountain offers over 700 vertical feet of downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing while overlooking Lake Superior.

Within the city of Duluth, there are several cross-country ski trails that are available from beginning to expert levels of cross-country skiing. The Snowflake Nordic Ski Center is consistently groomed and offers night skiing with lighting. They are located at 4348 Rice Lake Road in Duluth just minutes from The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast.

It’s just a short drive from The Firelight Inn to the parking lot on the Martin Road to access the North Shore Trail for snowmobiling. Great winding trails through the north woods and fun places for burgers, fries and hot chocolate make for a wonderful day of riding.

After you have had your winter outdoor adventure enjoy all the luxurious amenities at The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast. A warm bubble bath will be sure to relax you and our full breakfast delivered to the privacy of your suite will be sure to restore you!

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeepers/Owners
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek

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The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast Birthday Cake Recipe

December 4, 2009 – 8:30 pm


Tomorrow is Jim’s birthday and we will be celebrating at The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast in Duluth, MN. Jim has been anticipating this birthday because he will now be able to order off a special menu at a few chain restaurants. Oh boy, that sounds delightful, huh? He has also vowed to begin journaling and hopes to put his legacy down on paper.

Anyway, it is my job to bake his favorite cake in honor of his birthday. So I have researched a recipe for a German Chocolate Cake–Jim’s favorite! The history of the German Chocolate Cake is hard to pinpoint but a recipe appearing in a 1957 food column of a Dallas newspaper made the cake very popular. While the name “German” chocolate cake seems to suggest a tie to Germany, the name refers to the type of chocolate used in the cake which is named after the Walter Baker & Company employee, Samuel German, who developed the chocolate in 1852.

The recipe calls for:
1 4 ounce package of Baker’s Sweetened Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine (I use butter!)
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Take one 4 ounce package of sweetened chocolate and mix it with the boiling water. Mix until all the chocolate is dissolved. Let this cool before adding it to the later mixture. Mix 1 cup butter with 2 cups sugar until they are fluffy and rich. Slowly add eggs yolks while beating the mixture. Then add cooled chocolate liquid and 1 teaspoon vanilla after the egg yolk is completely mixed into the batter. Measure flour and add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the mixture. Add the buttermilk and flour to the mixture at the same time alternating the two until smooth.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in egg whites slowly. Do not stir or beat them in–just fold. Coat three 8 inch round cake pans with Pam or shortening and dust with flour. Then place wax paper in the bottom of each pan. (Use a pen to mark a sheet of wax paper around the exterior of the pan and cut accordingly.)

Pour equal amounts of batter into each 8 inch cake pan. Put the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not open the oven until the cake has been in the oven for the required time. A toothpick in the center should come out clean, if not, bake for another five to ten minutes.

Once your cake layers have cooled for 15 minutes, you will need to remove them from the cake pans. Cool further on a rack and remove the wax paper from the bottom.

The most important German Chocolate Cake Frosting:
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla on the stove on medium heat for 12 minutes. Once you are done stirring the ingredients together, add the coconut and pecans. Cool the frosting until it is firm and easy to spread. Frost away between each layer and then the sides. Enjoy!

Birthdays are important days and must be celebrated! The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast is a great destination for your birthday celebration. We enjoy preparing our Special Packages for you to be in suite upon arrival including The Firelight Inn Birthday Celebration. This special package includes a 6 inch, double layer, frosted birthday cake and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

We’ll be celebrating Jim’s big day tomorrow along with our guests and friends. We hope to see you on your next trip to Duluth!

Joy Fischer, Innkeeper/Owner
The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek Bed and Breakfast

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Firelight Inn Christmas Cookie Recipe

December 1, 2009 – 2:00 pm

Caramel Nut Logs

Note: At our 2008 holiday tour, we served a variety of Christmas cookies and treats.
The Caramel Nut Logs was a big hit. Enjoy!

Filling:
1/2 cup butter
1 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar

Coating:

1 14 ounce package unwrapped caramels
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons half & half
2 cups chopped salted cashews, peanuts or pecans

On low heat in medium saucepan, melt butter and marshmallow creme. Stir until well mixed. Stir in 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Mix well. Knead in up to 1/2 cup additional powdered sugar with hands until mixture is firm and no longer shiny.

Divide mixture into 6 equal parts. Shape each part into 6 equal parts. Shape each part into 5 x 1 inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place logs onto ungreased baking sheet. Freeze until firm at least 2 hours.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper. Set aside. Place chopped nuts on another sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.

Place caramels, 2 tablespoons butter and half & half in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until caramels are melted and smooth. Reduce heat to low to keep caramel mixture warm.

Remove logs from freezer; unwrap. Dip 1 frozen log into warm caramel mixture with tongs; turning to coat. Remove log allowing excess caramel mixture to drip back into pan.

Place caramel-coated log on nut-covered waxed paper. Lifting waxed paper; roll log to coat with nuts. Set log on prepared baking sheet to cool. Repeat with remaining logs. Refrigerate one hour. Wrap each log in plastic wrap. Store refrigerated. Cut each log into 12 slices.

For the holiday tour, I made the logs smaller, cut smaller slices and placed into mini cupcake papers.

Joy and Jim Fischer, Innkeeper / Owners
Firelight Inn Bed and Breakfast

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