Our Week of Culinary Conquests

While we were on our vacation to Hilton Head Island, Diann and I enjoyed using our official Biltmore Estate cookbook. We are finding it's a lot of fun - and quite efficient - to share the kitchen and actually cook instead of dining out!! (Though we did this, too.)

With two of us working together, we tackled recipes that we'd probably not attempt on our own.

Like Beef Wellington. It was sooooo good!

We made individual

Wellingtons instead of a whole tenderloin as it wasn't available in the local grocery store.

 

On the side:  oven-baked corn on the cob and oven roasted asparagus spears.

Another meal, we brought back the Salad Pizza recipe from last year's trip to Myrtle Beach.

Scones?  Yes, please!  We made these to go with breakfast one day. Warm out of the oven!!

Pre-baked scones

Another recipe from last year, made by Diann, is the Amaretto-glazed Peach Slices.

 

 

 

As we had no amaretto, a few drops of almond flavoring worked just fine!

She also did most of the work on the Rustic Apple Tart.

 

 

The smell of this baking was heavenly!

There were a couple of times when we got online recipes, too, with Paula Dean as inspiration for the Key Lime Pie meringue and the Baked Brie with nuts and brown sugar and a puff pastry crust.

Ooey, gooey cheesy goodness!

Towards the end of our week, the reserved ingredients (we only grocery shopped once!) went into the delicious Vanderbilt Mountain Strata.

 

 

This was one of the easiest, tastiest stratas I've ever made!  In fact, it was made again for my family after we returned home. 

You can obviously tell we threw calories, low carb, no sugar out the window for our week of culinary conquests and I have absolutely no regrets about it - and as for my waistbands, they have learned to keep quiet!!

Downton Detour

Road trips are always an adventure!

Here in the Biltmore Estate garden, we met up with the most delightful floral belle!

My sister and I have just wrapped up a wonderful trip to Hilton Head Island...spending hours in the car together on the way through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and finally arriving at our destination in South Carolina.  Along the way, we witnessed/experienced traffic jams, detours, winding mountain passes and a terrible accident.  Hotel reservations for two overnights were made as we travelled:  Asheville, NC was the first night and we arrived there later than my usual bedtime.  What really piqued our interest as we approached Asheville were prominent billboards advertising Dressing Downton at the Biltmore Estate.  What??? We knew a detour in the morning was coming!

 

This picture appeared on the billboard and also in the commemorative book purchased on location.

Early rising was a snap!  With no advance tickets purchased, we knew we had to be there even before the Biltmore Estate gate opened.  Our plan worked and we made it in time before tickets were no longer available. How very jolly we were --- pip pip Cheerio!

Front entrance

No photography was allowed once inside the Estate.  (This really allowed full concentration for full observation.  The pictures below have been "lifted" from the web and the book I bought.)  There were about 45 wardrobe masterpieces in the collection worn by the cast of this beloved PBS show. In person, these outfits were stunningly beautiful with every attention to detail: hats and jewelry included. The outfits were placed on mannequins and parked in appropriate mansion rooms.

Lady Mary and Matthew (not shown: the soon deceased Turkish diplomat) in Season 1.
 

 

Earl of Grantham wore this to the Charity Concert  in Season 2.

Tom's Chauffeur uniform Season 1-2.

Mrs. Hughes - Season 1.

Some of my favorites:  Earl of Grantham, Cora and Dowager Countess in their Garden Party attire Season 1.

Lady Sybil, Earl of Grantham, Lady Mary Season 2.

Lady Rose on the right in Season 4.

Lady Edith in her "boyish" look in Season 3.   This dress was one of my faves!

Cora's Garden Party hat.

Did you know that this is a travelling show? After leaving the Biltmore Estate, these garments will make their way to Wisconsin, Virginia, Chicago, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. You might need to take a road trip detour yourselves to see this
show if you are a Downtown Abbey fan!