Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Crisp (& Salty) French Fries served in shot glasses with garlicky saffron aioli….nothing else needs to be said!

Food & Wine SPRINGS Eternal @ Grand Isle Lake House  with  Donald McDonald of Farrell Distributing

Poema Extra Dry Cava

Ch.  Moncontour Jovly Vouvray

Ramp Crostini with VBC’s Goat’s Milk Feta & Honeyed Truffle Oil

Gemtree Tadpole Chardonnay~Viognier

Yellow Curried Pork Loin over Macadamia & Lavender Rice

Illuminati Campirosa

Shrimp & Crispy Prosciutto over Greens with Strawberry Rosé Vinaigrette

Michael & David Petite Petit

Naked Earth Vin Rouge

Lamb Pasta Bolognese with Grilled Mushrooms

Windmill Zinfandel

Chocolate Torte with Zinfandel Sauce & Toasted Almonds

Reservations Required, Please Call 372.5024

~$65 Per Guest~

“A Night in Tuscany” at Grand Isle Lake House
with
Bill O’Connor of Baker Distributing
Friday October 23, 2009
6:00 – 9:00 Pm

Antinori Orvieto Classico 2007
Artichoke Heart & Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Antinori Bramito Chardonnay 2007
Tuscan White Bean & Bacon Soup

Antinori Santa Cristina Sangiovese Blend 2007
Shrimp Farfelle with Spicy Leek & Tomato Sauce

Villa Antinori IGT 2004
Beef Tenderloin Tips with Shallots & Raspberry~Balsamic Sauce

Mionetto Moscato Prosecco
Fresh Fruit Tartlets

Reservations Required, Please Call 372.5024
~$65 Per Guest~

Raspberry Mojitos in August

Bev & Sheryl going above and beyond the call of duty; being forced to test the first batch of a specially requested raspberry mojito for a wedding in early August. Fortunately, Russ (in background) & Sue were still hard at work!  Garnished with fresh raspberries & mint, they proved to be delicious & just gorgeous to boot!

We all enjoyed a refreshing change of pace with Caroline and Brett’s “brunch” wedding.  We ended up with a gorgeous day and the guests were able to enjoy the beauty of the Grand Isle Lake House in the early afternoon.  As Caroline and Brett were off early in the morning for their honeymoon, they spent their wedding night in Burlington, while some of their family and friends had the whole evening to relax at the Lake House. 

A friend of the family, Mick O’Brien, serenaded the couple at the rehearsal dinner as well as the wedding ceremony.  It is personal involvement like this that I believe makes a wedding that much more special.

Caroline’s flowers reminded me of the flowers I had at my own wedding, so of course I absolutely loved them!  Once again, Flowers In Season provided the bouquets and centerpieces (as they did for mine) and they were just perfect – hydrangeas, peonies and the softest palest pink roses I have ever seen, helped set the scene for a beautiful summer wedding. 

Congratulations Caroline and Brett!!

Susan

We are officially open for business and one of our first projects to tackle is the planting of our gardens.  Bev Watson and I undertake this job together and have made our first pilgrimage to the nursery in Quebec, just minutes away from the border crossing at Rousses Point, New York.  We like to start with an idea of the colors and types of plants we are looking for, but we inevitably get distracted by all the beautiful new plants we find every year. 

The pots on the porch are planted and we are loving the color combinations we decided to try.  It is amazing how full and lush they become after having been planted for only a few weeks.  We think the pinks and whites in the pots by the new stairs leading down to the ceremony site will look particularly beautiful in wedding photographs. 

Our next project will be to plant the beds next to the stairs, as well as the vegetable garden.  Russell has been watching over the plants he started by seed this winter and will soon plant the giant pumpkins, sweet peas, cosmos and sunflowers in the round garden. 

We hope the bunnies will have mercy on our tender new plants and allow them to flourish.  The weather at this time of year can sometimes take a toll as well, with the winds off Lake Champlain gusting as they are today.  We wouldn’t change a thing though, we are as happy as can be here in our little slice of heaven!

Susan                                                                  

Our neighbors Patty & Gary Sundberg make great homemade ice cream & sorbets right here in the Champlain Islands!   We often serve their award winning products at our weekday retreats as well as rehearsal dinners and Vermont weddings.  Try their unique flavors & style at several local & regional restaurants or pick up a pint (or two) at several area stores!

Island Homemade Ice Cream

Welcome to our brand new web-site!  We are so excited about our new look and about all the great photos we can now share with everyone.  We hope that through this blog, we will be able to keep our visitors updated on all the happenings throughout the year.

We are rapidly approaching the beginning of our twelfth Vermont wedding season, and are looking forward to all of our upcoming events.  All of our menus have been planned and we are now turning our attention to freshening up the House and gardens. 

We are so fortunate to have such fabulous couples to work with and are looking forward to our first wedding on June 6th.  Kate and Shawn are a wonderful couple from Iowa City, Iowa and we are excited for their big day here on the shores of Lake Champlain!

It is going to be an extremely busy year for us at the Grand Isle Lake House, and for this we are grateful.  It feels as though this has been a very long winter (but aren’t they all?!) and we are ready for all the excitement of a fresh new wedding season.  Take care!

Susan