Christmas Candlelight Tickets Now On Sale!

Nov. 18th 2013

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Belle Grove Plantation
1st Annual
Christmas Candlelight Tours

It is time to make history at Belle Grove Plantation as we celebrate our first Christmas at the plantation! We will be opening our doors to old and young to come and gaze upon this grand mansion and grounds that has seen so many Christmas past.

On Friday, December 6th, 2013, Belle Grove Plantation will celebrate their Official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. Come help us not only ring in the season, but celebrate officially opening our doors!

Saturday, December 14th from 5pm to 9pm, Santa arrives at the plantation! The last known visit from Father Christmas to the plantation appeared in the Free Lance Star dating to the 1890s! Come see him return once again and help us celebrate this return to tradition!

Each day, there will be entertainment and warm beverages to help you get into the Holiday Spirit!

Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast will be opening its doors for the 1st Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour for the following dates:

Friday, December 6th and Friday, December 13th
6:00pm to 9:00pm

Saturday, December 7th and Saturday, December 14th
Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm
Evening Tours – 5:00pm to 9:30pm

Sunday, December 8th and Sunday, December 15th
Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm
Evening Tours – 3:00pm to 6:00pm

IMPORTANT – This tour requires several stairs. We are sorry, at this time we are not handicap accessible.

Tickets are sold for scheduled times. Please make sure you purchase them for the time you wish to visit.

Ticket Prices:

Daytime Tickets

Adults – $15
Children under 12 – $10
Children under 5 – Free

Night Time Tickets

Adults – $25
Children under 12 – $10
Children under 5 – Free

I am sorry, we do not offer discounts for this event.

Please go to our Online Store to Purchase Tickets!

https://squareup.com/market/belle-grove-plantation-bed-and-breakfast/christmas-candlelight-tours-tickets

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | Comments Off on Christmas Candlelight Tickets Now On Sale!

Look Who Stopped By The Plantation!

Nov. 17th 2013

Modern Molasses Cookies the Official Cookie of Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast birthplace of James Madison in King George Virginia at Port Conway

As many of you that have been following us over the last year or two know, we had an Official Cookie Contest last March. It was a wonderful contest and we had some really wonderful cookie recipes offered!

After a very close race and the public vote on Facebook, it ended with a delicious cookie called “Modern Molasses Cookies” submitted by Alyssa D’Alconzo. Since we have opened, we have been placing these yummy cookies on a silver tray on each bed during turn-down service. They are wonderful and everyone really enjoys the added “midnight snack”.

Modern Molasses Cookies the Official Cookie of Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast birthplace of James Madison in King George Virginia at Port Conway

Alyssa and Michelle – November 2013

This weekend we were excited to host Alyssa and her family for a couple days at the plantation! How wonderful to finally meet someone that we have been chatting with on our blog for so long. Alyssa isn’t the first from the blog to come by, but it was extra special to have her here to sample our “Modern Molasses Cookies”.

I think we passed the test!

But we would like to share the recipe with all those who are new or those who would like to know how to make them. Here at the plantation, I did make a copy of changes to the recipe. I don’t serve them with chocolate because there are those who may be allergic. I also make a batch and freeze the raw dough balls. Then in the afternoon, I pull out what I need and cook them so they are fresh and warm when our guests return from dinner. By freezing them, it helps give them a puffy center too. (A trick I learned from Mrs. Field’s cookies)

You can check out Alyssa’s blog and read about her adventures visiting us at

http://suitcasesandsweets.com

So make a warm batch and enjoy!

Modern Molasses Cookies – Alyssa D’Alconzo

Ingredients (4 dozen cookies)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
sugar
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together shortening and dark brown sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla. Mix well.

Fold in dry ingredients and stir by hand.
Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Shape teaspoonful of dough into balls; roll in sugar.
Place balls onto cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8-10 minutes until set. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet and remove to wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, break up chocolate into small pieces, add coconut oil or shortening, and microwave on medium heat until melted.

Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies.

Allow chocolate to set and store in an airtight container.

The Finer Things In Life

Nov. 13th 2013

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On Saturday, November 9th, Belle Grove Plantation hosted the Victorian Ladies Society for an afternoon of tea and tours.

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What a sight they were to see in their finest as they approached the grand mansion!

I could almost see days gone by as ladies during the Turner Family period would have hosted such gatherings.

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Our Afternoon Tea was served in the Formal Dining Room on plates and cups that many of you have seen as we have collected them over the last year or two. Our menu included four flavors of scones. Pumpkin, White Chocolate Raspberry, Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry were served with traditional sides of Lemon Curd, Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserves. Our tea sandwiches were a two layer, opened face Cucumber Sandwich, a two layer Olive and Pecan Spread on Wheat, Chicken Salad in a Puff Pastry and Asparagus with Virginia Ham and Dijon Mustard rolled in a crescent. For our pastries we served a Lavender Shortbread, Chocolate Rugula and a Puff Pastry Shell with Italian Orange Cream. Our tea select was Classic Earl Gray and Youth Berry with Wild Orange Blossom.

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The ladies enjoyed their tea and conversations for the first hour. The second was spent touring the mansion and hearing the history of Belle Grove Plantation from the beginning in 1670 to the present. Our tour ended on the Riverside Balcony where the ladies enjoyed a moment of warmth as the sun shone down over the river.

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Peering out the Turner Master Suite window where the Carrie Turner etching is located

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We are so excited to announce that the Victorian Ladies Society will be returning in April, 2014 for a very special event with Belle Grove Plantation!

The Victorian Ladies Society and Belle Grove Plantation will be hosting our first Titanic Tea!

Be on the watch for the announcement and ticket sales!

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Thank you to the Victorian Ladies for visiting with us at Belle Grove Plantation!

If you are interested in an Private Afternoon Tea at Belle Grove Plantation, please email us at information@bellegroveplantation.com.  We are sorry, but we do not serve tea to the general public at this time.

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History, Food and Recipes | Comments Off on The Finer Things In Life

Deck the Halls and Be Apart of History!

Nov. 11th 2013

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Belle Grove Plantation

1st Annual

Christmas Candlelight Tours

It is time to make history at Belle Grove Plantation as we celebrate our first Christmas at the plantation! We will be opening our doors to old and young to come and gaze upon this grand mansion and grounds that has seen so many Christmas past.

On Friday, December 6th, 2013, Belle Grove Plantation will celebrate their Official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. Come help us not only ring in the season, but celebrate officially opening our doors!

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Saturday, December 14th Santa arrives at the plantation! The last known visit from Father Christmas to the plantation appeared in the Free Lance Star dating to the 1890s! Come see him return once again and help us celebrate this return to tradition!

Each day, there will be entertainment and warm beverages to help you get into the Holiday Spirit!

Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast will be opening its doors for the 1st Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour for the following dates:

Friday, December 6th and Friday, December 13th

6:00pm to 9:00pm

Saturday, December 7th and Saturday, December 14th

Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm

Evening Tours – 5:00pm to 9:30pm

Sunday, December 8th and Sunday, December 15th

Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm

Evening Tours – 3:00pm to 6:00pm

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The 1st Annual Belle Grove Plantation Decorating and Wreath Contest

will be held this season as part of our Christmas Candlelight Tours.

Come help us “Deck our Halls” and be entered to win some amazing prizes!

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Decorating Contest

We will set aside six common rooms for florist, interior decorators, ladies groups or anyone else that would like to help make Belle Grove Plantation grand for the season. Each room, to be decorated in the Colonial theme, will be part of our Christmas Candlelight Tour and will be eligible for the public to vote – the winner gets a free three-day weekend at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast.

As a Contestant, your room will be on display for our guests and tour guests, along with your information to promote your organization or business. In addition, you will receive your own half-page write up and one banner-sized ad in our Christmas Candlelight Tour Programs that will be given to everyone taking the Tour.

We will be promoting our event through multiple media outlets, as well as all social media outlets.

To enter, please email us for an application form, commitment form and rules at information@bellegroveplantation.com. We will be taking applications and room selections, first come, first serve. Please do not call to apply.

Before entering, please read the contest rules carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us at information@gmail.com or call 540-621-7340.

Entry Application Period:              Monday, November 11th through Friday, November 22nd

(or until all rooms are taken; whichever comes first)

Judging will be by public vote during our Christmas Candlelight Tours from Friday, December 6th to Sunday, December 15th (weekends only). We will contact the winner first, and then publicly announce the winner on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. Each contestant will receive a personal email with the results prior to the announcement.

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Wreath Contest

If a room is a little too ambitious for you this year, why not enter our Wreath Contest?

Each Colonial Themed Wreath will be part of our Christmas Candlelight Tour and will be eligible by public vote to win a free night at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast.

As a Contestant, your wreath will be on display for our guests and tour guests during our Christmas Candlelight Tour Programs.

We will be promoting our event through multiple media outlets as well as all social media outlets.

To enter, please email us for an application form, commitment form and rules at information@bellegroveplantation.com. We will be taking applications and room selections, first come, first serve. Please do not call to apply.

We ask that you only select one door to allow others to participate this year.

Before entering, please read the contest rules carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us at information@gmail.com or call 540-621-7340.

Entry Application Period:              Monday, November 11th through Friday, November 22nd

(or until all doors or doorways are selected, whichever comes first)

Judging will be by public vote during our Christmas Candlelight Tours from Friday, December 6th to Sunday, December 15th (weekends only). Each contestant will receive a personal email with the results prior to the public announcement of the winner on Monday, December 16th on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog.

We will have 15 exterior doors and two swags over the Main Riverside and Plantation doorways available to choose from. We will be lighting the mansion with exterior spotlights to accent these beautiful creations.

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Tickets for the Christmas Candlelight Tour will go on sale soon!

We look forward to seeing you at the plantation this Holiday Season!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 4 Comments »

Hello Mr. President

Nov. 11th 2013

Today we had another first!

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Our first tour bus!

This tour was from the “In the Footsteps of John Wilkes Booth” Tour. They start at Ford’s Theater and trace the places that John Wilkes Booth and David Herold took. Their last stop is the site of Garrett’s Farm on Route 301. Today, we were the last stop!

So how does Belle Grove Plantation fit in? Well, Booth and Harold didn’t stop at Belle Grove Plantation, but they did take the Port Conway ferry crossing to Port Royal. Just a day or so later, the detachment pursuing them, stopped at Belle Grove Plantation. Here they ate and slept until it was time to cross the river.

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One of the officers, Lieutenant Colonel Everton Conger, who had been wounded three times during the Civil War, was allowed to sleep in Belle Grove Plantation’s Grand Hallway. One of the wounds that Lt.Col. Conger had received had been so severe that they had given him up for died. It was during this time that he was cared for by Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. After leaving the plantation and finding Booth and Harold at Garrett’s farm, Lt. Col. Congar pulled up brush from around the barn, lite it on fire and stuffed it into the barn setting it on fire.

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Today’s group of forty-three were from Michigan. Their tour guide was Michael W. Kauffman, author of “American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth”, a modern edition of Samuel B. Arnold’s Memoirs of a Lincoln Conspirator, and the book and CD – “In the Footsteps of an Assassin”.

As historian William C. Davis once wrote, “no one has studied [John Wilkes] Booth longer or more in depth than Michael W. Kauffman, a well-known figure and voice of reason in the field of Lincoln assassination studies.”

For thirty-five years, Kauffman has been a fixture at assassination-related symposia, tours, and news events. He has written numerous articles on the subject, and his bus tours of the John Wilkes Booth Escape Route have been a staple of feature publications all over the U.S., making Kauffman “legendary,” according to The Washington Post. Taking a full-immersion approach to history, he has rowed across the Potomac where Booth rowed, leaped to the stage in Ford’s Theatre, and burned down a tobacco barn almost identical to the one in which Booth was cornered and killed. (It was already slated for demolition!) For a time he even took up residence in Tudor Hall, the Booth family home in Maryland.
Kauffman has written for Civil War Times, the Washington Post, American Heritage, Blue and Gray, and the Lincoln Herald, among others. He has lectured throughout the United States, and has appeared in more than twenty television and radio documentaries, including programs on A& E, The Learning Channel, the History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and the Discovery Channel.

One of the highlights of the day was the appearance of “President  Lincoln”. Ron Carley, a Professional Lincoln Impersonator from Detroit surprised us today with his wonderful performance as “President Lincoln”. It was amazing! He is the same height as President Lincoln standing at a towering 6 feet and 4 inches tall! With his hat and hand at his jacket, you could have swore he was in fact President Lincoln!

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He even had his photograph taken on one of our “Lincoln Movie” Settees! It just make this settee even more special!

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Just as we were finishing up with the “John Wilkes Booth” Tour, we had two couples from Port Tobacco, Maryland come in for a tour of Belle Grove Plantation. Little did they know who they were bumping into as they came into the door!

All and all it was a wonderful day with many great surprises. This is just the first in many more “John Wilkes Booth” Tours we will be a part of in the years to come. I guess you can now say we have had TWO “Presidents” grace our halls at the plantation!

Thank you to all the wonderful tourist we met today! We had a wonderful time getting to know you and sharing our love of Belle Grove Plantation! Thank you to Liz and Michael for including us in such a wonderful tour!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 6 Comments »

Don’t Pass the Turkey

Nov. 7th 2013

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Have you gotten your Belle Grove Plantation Thanksgiving Dinner Tickets yet?
We have already sold half of the seats at the table!!
Don’t miss out on this awesome chance to be apart of the history of Belle Grove Plantation at Port Conway, Birthplace of James Madison!
Visit our online store link below to get your ticket today!
https://squareup.com/market/belle-grove-plantation-bed-and-breakfast/thanksgiving-dinner-at-historic-belle-grove-plantation
We will be having all the traditional Southern Thanksgiving dishes!
Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Souffle
Green Beans Amandine
Deviled Eggs
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
For Dessert – Pecan and Pumpkin Pie
Purchase deadline will be Sunday, November 17, 2013

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History, Food and Recipes | 6 Comments »

The Plantation is on Fire!

Nov. 5th 2013

Stop! Don’t Panic! Not that kind of fire!!

Our trees were at the height of their color change last weekend! It was incredible! I woke up to a beautiful, sunny morning.

The sunlight was just showing off the color so well!

We wished all of you could have been here to see it!

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Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 2 Comments »

I Get the Last Deviled Egg!

Nov. 3rd 2013

Special Events for Thanksgiving and Christmas at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast in King George Virginia and Port Conway.

Fall has arrived at the plantation and we are planning our next big events!

Special Events for Thanksgiving and Christmas at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast in King George Virginia and Port Conway.

Come help us celebrate our first Thanksgiving at Historic Belle Grove Plantation, birthplace of James Madison!
Thursday, November 28th at 1:00pm
We will be having all the traditional Southern Thanksgiving dishes!

Come help us celebrate our first Thanksgiving at Historic Belle Grove Plantation, birthplace of James Madison!  Thursday, November 28th at 1:00pm  We will be having all the traditional Southern Thanksgiving dishes!  Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy Mashed Potatoes Sweet Potato Souffle Green Beans Amandine Deviled Eggs  Cranberry Sauce  Rolls  For Dessert - Pecan and Pumpkin Pie  SPECIAL APPEARANCE  Hurley, The Official Plantation Dog!  We have limited tickets available.  Purchase deadline will be Sunday, November 17, 2013  Please visit our Online Store to purchase your ticket.  https://squareup.com/market/belle-grove-plantation-bed-and-breakfast/thanksgiving-dinner-at-historic-belle-grove-plantation
Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Souffle
Green Beans Amandine
Deviled Eggs
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
For Dessert – Pecan and Pumpkin Pie

Come help us celebrate our first Thanksgiving at Historic Belle Grove Plantation, birthplace of James Madison!  Thursday, November 28th at 1:00pm  We will be having all the traditional Southern Thanksgiving dishes!  Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy Mashed Potatoes Sweet Potato Souffle Green Beans Amandine Deviled Eggs  Cranberry Sauce  Rolls  For Dessert - Pecan and Pumpkin Pie  SPECIAL APPEARANCE  Hurley, The Official Plantation Dog!  We have limited tickets available.  Purchase deadline will be Sunday, November 17, 2013  Please visit our Online Store to purchase your ticket.  https://squareup.com/market/belle-grove-plantation-bed-and-breakfast/thanksgiving-dinner-at-historic-belle-grove-plantation
SPECIAL APPEARANCE
Hurley, The Official Plantation Dog!
We have limited tickets available.
Purchase deadline will be Sunday, November 17, 2013
Please visit our Online Store to purchase your ticket.
https://squareup.com/market/belle-grove-plantation-bed-and-breakfast/thanksgiving-dinner-at-historic-belle-grove-plantation

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | Comments Off on I Get the Last Deviled Egg!

Garlic and Rosemary Studded Pork Tenderloin

Jan. 13th 2013

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I recently saw this recipe on “The Best Thing I Ever Made” on the Food Network. It was a recipe by John Besh. I decided to give it a try tonight, but of course gave it my own twist. In his recipe, it a Pork Shoulder. I had a Pork Tenderloin in the freezer, so I decided to make it instead. Because my tenderloin was smaller, I also had to make adjustments in the measurements.

Ingredients

  • 2.5 pound Pork Tenderloin
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fresh Rosemary (you can’t use dry for this)
  • 7 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1 white onion, rough chopped
  • 1 cup baby carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • butcher’s string

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Chop the celery, onion and carrots and place into a roasting pan or glass roasting dish. I lined mine with foil for easy clean up.

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Slice up garlic cloves into smaller long pieces. Pull four rosemary stems off and have them ready to use.

Sliced Garlic Cloves

Sliced Garlic Cloves

Truss your tenderloin by using butcher’s string. To truss, start by tying the end off.

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Then take the string and circle under the tenderloin, while holding the string in place an inch from your first knot.

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When you circle the meat, take the string that is coming around and feed it behind the hold spot. Pull slightly to place it.

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Repeat until you reach the end. Tie it off in a knot.

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Make sure you have them about 1 1/2 inches apart. This will help hold your meat together while it cooks.

After you have finish, take a paring knife and make a small slit in the top of the meat. Take one piece of clove and pull a small spring of rosemary and place both into the slit. Cover the top of the tenderloin with your garlic and rosemary.

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Place tenderloin on top of the chopped vegetables. Salt and Pepper.

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Place the oven, uncovered for 2 1/2 hours or until your meat has an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Take it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

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To slice, remove the rosemary and garlic cloves. Cut the butcher’s string from the meat. Slice and serve. Trash your vegetables or use them to make a gravy.

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We had our with white rice and gravy, black-eye peas, and collard greens. The gravy I made was not from the dipping in the roasting pan, but a bacon gravy. For being cooked uncovered for 2 1/2 hours, the tenderloin was surprisingly very moist! It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon dinner that any Southern girl would be proud of.

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To see more food we have made

Please visit our Facebook Page!

Facebook Link

Don’t forget to check out our Cookie Contest!

Cookie Contest 2013

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Food and Recipes | 30 Comments »