High Country Inn News - 2004

12-30-04 Hello to everyone!

We just returned yesterday from our Christmas and end-of-50th-anniversary trip, and had several inquiries about New Year's Eve dinner, which we didn't put on the calendar, not having had any response earlier to our newsletter.

We would be happy to put on a nice candlelit New Year's Prime dinner, if we have at least eight-ten couples who would wish to come. The menu would be seafood appetizer, US Choice NY Prime roast, chef-carved, stuffed potatoes deluxe, fancy salad, vegetable, homemade bread and butter, and dessert, coffee, for $19.95 plus tax and gratuity. We would need reservations at the latest by 9 a.m. tomorrow, New Year's Eve. It would be even better if we could have positive responses by this evening. I can let those who respond know by tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. if not before.

Otherwise, our January calendar is pretty bare, except for private catering. We ARE planning our big MARDI GRAS for Saturday, February 5, which is the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, and you won't want to miss this fun party! Then our third anniversary celebration will be the weekend of Valentine's, and we'll have four days of special events, from Friday through Monday, February 14.

12-9-04
A quick note to let you know of the final events we've planned for you for the Christmas season. We had planned a "Taste of Italy" for tomorrow, Friday evening, which would include Beef Tri-Tip Beef or Chicken Breast Saltimbocca, but this Friday seems to be a busy one for all, as we have just five reservations so far. So unless we get several more in today, that will be put off, and we'll concentrate on our next public event, which will be next Sunday, December 19, with our pre-Christmas Holiday Dinner Buffet. We already have several reservations for that dinner, and we will have a wonderful meal. We have also advertised Friday, December 17, as a public event, but it is already filled up.

I had asked a while back if any would be interested in a New Year's Eve Candlelight dinner up here at the inn, and if so, would plan our first one. However, we've not had much response, so I will assume that most have other plans for the evening. We had never done one before as we usually have our own plans, but a few people had asked about one earlier in the year. My wish is to provide the service of enjoyable dining experiences for all who wish them, and we're still stumbling along trying to figure out what that is!

We've had good response with company parties, as our Saturday evenings have been taken up with those. We also have a luncheon scheduled for next Thursday, December 16, and we invite any who would like to come up for a Christmas luncheon to join us. We have room for about a dozen more guests. We will serve from noon to 1:30 p.m. that day.

Menu for Christmas Lunch, Thursday, December 16:
Chicken Breast Pensacola (chicken seasoned with Jamaican Jerk seasoning with a citrus marinade, and grilled) rice pilaf, Hostess Peas, rolls and butter, dessert and coffee. Just $12.75, includes tax and gratuity.

Menu for Sunday, December 19

Herb-roasted Brined Turkey, Lean stuffed pork Loin in wine sauce, and all the trimmings! Click onto our website, http://www.thehighcountryinn.com for more details!

We will also be happy to schedule gatherings in January, several have indicated they would like to bring a party up after the holidays, and still celebrate! Our tree and decorations are beautiful, and we'll leave them up until around the middle of next month, for as many to enjoy as can.

Our Christmas High Tea was well-attended despite our surprise snow, only five guests had to cancel, those being from Moscow. We still had over thirty guests and it was a real winter wonderland, listening to Cathy Curtis play lovely Christmas carols while the snow added to the fantastic view! We had so many compliments, and many are looking forward to our next tea, which will be in February, close to Valentine's. That will also be the date of our third anniversary!!

If we don't see you before December 19, have a wonderful Christmas. Dick and I will be joining our entire family of children and grandchildren in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to put the finishing touches on the celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary, which we have been observing since mid-summer!. This will be the only occasion when all twenty-four of us will be together in one place!

We also want to join you in hoping for a peaceful and prosperous new year! We want to thank you all for your patronage of the inn, especially as you have told others about our little venture. We are steadily gaining new visitors and hope to continue to serve all of you who have been with us since our beginnings. As you know, we are still in the building stage, and we wish to increase the Bed and Breakfast business next year, especially as we complete the new family-sized cabin to join the first two units. Keep us in mind when you have visitors you have no room for, or know of people planning family reunions!!

11-19-04
We had a grand turn-out for our Prime Rib on Saturday, with 40 reservations, and a very nice crowd on Sunday, with 25 guests, including people from California, Kamiah, Lewiston, and Craigmont! Thanks to all who are responding to our newsletter and making reservations online, even from California!!!

We are excited about being able to offer some December dates for your holiday dining, especially if you would like to celebrate the season with a twosome, or a table of four or more, to enjoy a fine dinner in our beautiful Christmas ambiance. We'll serve you on our Spode Christmas dishes, with lovely centerpieces on the table, candlelight of course, and the finest service and hospitality we can offer!

We already have small groups booked on the dates below, but there will be room for some more tables to have dinner the same evening. Thus, we offer the opportunity for you to experience our holiday efforts, before the dates are published in the Orofino and Kamiah papers.

We will open for dinner from 6 p.m., with social hour, and commence serving by 7 p.m. The dinners featuring Prime Rib, Pork loin Wellington (with mushrooms in puff pastry crust) or NY strip will be $18, while Chicken Breast, Angus Tri-tip, and the holiday pre-Christmas dinner will be $15, plus tax and gratuity. You may indicate a choice when you make your reservations.

Friday, December 3 New York Strip or Chicken Breast Divan
Friday, December 10 Angus Tri-Tip or Chicken Breast Saltimbocca
Friday December 17 Prime Rib or Pork Loin Wellington
Sunday December 19 Pre-Christmas Holiday Dinner 4 p.m.
Herb-roasted Turkey, pork loin, dressing, and all the trimmings!

Also, Our Holiday High Tea Sunday, December 5, 3 to 5 p.m. We already have several reservations, including at least one lady who will be wearing her Red Hat! By the way, ALL Red Hats are welcome to our teas, or may schedule their own luncheon or event!

Saturday, December 4 Holiday Breads Cooking Class, take home and freeze your products for Christmas! 9 to 2 p.m. We are offering our e-mail patrons first opportunity for this class, it will include a morning coffee and biscotti break, a nice lunch with wine, and all materials for the class. We will send home some beautiful holiday breads and other goodies to freeze for serving during Christmas holidays! $50 per participant! Class is limited to 8 "students." If there is enough interest, we might offer another class during a weekday early in December.

11-16-04
Gala Holiday Dinners at the High Country Inn! Join us during December for a gala holiday dinner, served on our Spode Christmas ware, surrounded by beautiful holiday decorations, a giant tree, and excellent hospitality!
Open for the public for the following evenings, with a choice of two entrees:

Friday, December 3 Prime Rib or Chicken
Friday, December 10 Angus Tri-Tip or Chicken
Friday December 17 Prime Rib or Pork Loin Wellington
Sunday December 19 Pre-Christmas Holiday Dinner 4 p.m.
Herb-roasted Turkey, pork loin, and all the trimmings

Also, Our Holiday High Tea Sunday, December 5, 3 to 5 p.m.
Saturday, December 4 Holiday Breads Cooking Class, take home and freeze your products for Christmas! 9 to 2 p.m.

11-8-04
Hello to all! We are being blessed with gorgeous fall weather. I was able to get out and do some planting this weekend, actually putting some evergreens in larger containers, and some in the ground, which will be moved later as we get ready to landscape around our new cabins. And if you live around the pines, you'll know what I mean when I say I filled three huge bags of needles just from our patio! Of course there are you who probably have the same with the deciduous trees! We are ready to put the metal roof on the new cabin today, don't know if I've told you the new cabin will be one large unit with a bigger loft, and will sleep up to a dozen people for a big group. It will also have an enclosed bedroom up in the loft for privacy, but the entire cabin will be great for a family or close-knit group, while the other two units will sleep four or five each. Please keep this in mind if you know of anyone planning reunions or retreats! Look on our web site for pictures!

Our prime rib dinner for this Saturday has a nice crowd coming already, though we can still take a few more. This will be an early dinner, to allow those who are going to the concert to enjoy a meal before. However, we will continue serving after five o'clock, as some of our guests can't come that early. On the menu besides prime rib will be my lovely stuffed potato, a deluxe salad and vegetable, breads, dessert, and beverage. The special price is just $14.95, plus tax and gratuity.

Seating Note: We do honor those who prefer to sit in privacy, just two to a table, so just let us know when you make a reservation, if you prefer to be alone to enjoy private company!

Sunday will be our pre-Thanksgiving Harvest Dinner, and will feature boneless lean pork loin roast and baron of beef, with dressing, mashed potatoes, deluxe salad, vegetables and other condiments, homemade rolls, and lovely dessert. The special price is just $12.95, or $25 for two! Our wine and beer bar will be open as usual, and we always have nibbles beforehand! If we have enough who are interested in this Sunday dinner, we'll think about having another before Christmas, possibly December 19. Right now we just have seven reservations, so talk it up among your friends! In order to make our dinners available, we need to have at least twenty-five patrons. For Sunday's dinner we will open at 4 p.m.

Our Holiday High Tea, which will be Sunday, December 5, was going to be a fundraiser for our proposed Community Pool Complex, but it seems we didn't have enough time to put it all together, so we will postpone the fundraising part until January or February. Instead, we will go as first planned, and have the high tea here at the inn, complete with Christmas music, my Spode Christmas dishes and other fine china cups and saucers brought to me, and beautiful decorations, always done up for me by my dear buddy, Cathy Curtis. The tea will be from 3 to 5 p.m., and what a lovely way to begin the holiday season! Mothers, daughters, grand daughters, special friends, and husbands, are all welcome! The tea will be $12, and we hope to also have some holiday breads for sale, with some of the proceeds going to our new food bank at St. Theresa's. Everyone is also invited to donate non-perishable foods for the new food bank, which will be ready for the winter season.

If anyone is interested in a cooking class for making holiday breads from around the world, let me know and we'll see if we can offer one before Christmas.

We still have openings for small gatherings for holiday dinners, as well as our catering services off-site, and we'll also offer lunches for the special price of $10 for groups of ten or more. (With tax and gratuity, $12.25) Wednesdays through Fridays through February. (Yes, the road is open all year!)

Just a question: how many would be interested in a fine candlelit New Year's Eve dinner? I get a few inquiries each year, but have never planned one. Your response will be my guide.

And don't forget, the Clearwater Valley Hospital Foundation will have its annual Harvest Moon Cruise on Saturday, November 20, at the Armory here in Orofino. This is THE GALA event for Orofino, and includes dinner (catered by me!) a floor show, funny money casino, and dancing. The floor show will be a tribute to Frank Sinatra, and the theme is New York New York! Proceeds are earmarked towards the new Cat Scan for the Radiology Department. Advance tickets are just $25 person, $45 a couple and can be ordered from the hospital at 476-4555. Reserve tables are also available.

10-28-04
A note to let everyone know that we've planned our Prime Rib night for Saturday, November 13, to be a "Pre-Concert" dinner, and will have dinner at 5 p.m., in order to allow those who attend the community concert to have time for an enjoyable dinner before going to the performance. This will be another "special," with a full prime rib dinner for just $14.95.

Our Fall Harvest dinner on Sunday, November 14, will be an opportunity for you and your friends to have a pre-Thanksgiving celebration. This dinner will be at 4 p.m. and will be a full two-entree buffet for $14.95, including lean stuffed pork loin roast medallions in wine sauce.

We are still taking reservations for our Italian "Treat" night this Friday, we open at 6:30 p.m., Dinner is just $10, including tiramisu for dessert! Call us today!

10-25-04
We've planned a "Treat" of a night for our Casual Friday this week, of Halloween, October 29, with a full Italian dinner for just $10! (plus tax and gratuity) The inn is all decorated for fall, and it's about time for a fire in the fireplace! I have a delicious menu for you, which includes an antipasto platter, Minestrone (which means "big soup") a Mediterranean salad with feta cheese, Chicken Parmesan, Fettuccine Alfredo, homemade Focaccia bread, dessert and beverage. Why not get a table together and come up! We'll take reservations until Friday a.m.

Attendance has been light at our last two events, we'd love to have a crowd this weekend! Our next event will be November 13 for prime rib. Hope to see you soon!

10-11-04
Hello to everyone on this glorious fall day! We've had a full couple of weeks, with celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary in the company of four of our children, several grandchildren, and lots of friends, followed the next day with our Oktoberfest! Then we spent all this last weekend working on the new cabin project, as this was our son Richard's last weekend up here to help before his return to his job in Nigeria!

We are looking forward to seeing you at one of our gatherings during this beautiful season, and we have a variety of meals and dates to choose from. Our Autumn High Tea is this coming Sunday, October 17, and we still have plenty of room, if you'd like to attend, and hear our talented group, the Treble Three, perform just for your pleasure! Time is 3 to 5 p.m., includes three courses which will fill you up, and the cost is just $12, plus tax and gratuity. We'll be using our new collection of beautiful new cups and saucers, which keeps growing and growing!

We've been asked to have more Sunday dinners, and we hope we'll have good response to our French Country menu, which I've planned for Sunday, October 24. Social hour at 4 p.m., serving dinner at 5 p.m. This allows everyone to get back home and ready for the new week!

I will give you the details in English, so you'll know what a wonderful fall country dinner this will be! Beef Burgundy, Chicken in wine sauce, French Onion Soup, Fancy potatoes, Green beans amondine, homemade French bread and butter, a deluxe salad with several dressing choices, including French!! and of course, dessert, crepes in orange sauce or miniature cream puffs with chocolate sauce. In French: Boeuf a la Bourguignonne, Coc au Vin, Pommes de Terre, Haricots vert, Soupe a l'Oignon, pain francais, Crepes Suzette, Profiteroles au chocolat, and more~!

This is our first offering of a French menu, and we hope many will be interested. You know we had our German Oktoberfest just over a week ago, and we had a full house, forty-five dinner guests!

The spirit was wonderful, and we had so many compliments, even a new patron from Munich, Germany, who paid us the highest compliment of telling us our food was as good and authentic as any in her homeland! We hope to be able to offer many more international dining favorites, if our patrons support our efforts! The Italian-Greco has been popular, so we will do that theme next. Some dates we've set on the calendar include:

Friday, October 29 Mediterranean Night, Italian-Greco Cuisine, a robust menu!
Saturday, November 13 Smoked Prime Rib, a great night out!
Sunday, November 14 Fall Harvest Dinner, a pre-Thanksgiving feast!
Sunday, December 5 Holiday High Tea

I appreciate very much many of you telling your friends about us, and helping to spread the word about your fine dining experience here at the inn. Some comments: "so homelike, wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, fine service!" Our bed and breakfast business is also growing, thanks to visitors who have been here and told others about us when they return home. We'll be glad when our first cabins get done, hopefully this week in time for guests on October 18!

We have added some new pictures to the scrapbook page, and hope to have more soon. You can see a cute picture of our new grandbaby, Olivia, with grandson Nathan. There's also a picture of our cabin in progress. Hope to see you here at the inn soon!

9-27-04
Treble Three to perform for Autumn High Tea

A popular musical group from Orofino will perform at the High Country Inn's next tea, which will be held Sunday, October 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. Members Jan Holzer, Ev Olsen, and Kathy Goetsch, accompanied by the lovely piano music of Joanne Hutchinson, will offer a lovely program between courses during the afternoon. Chef Jo Moore has just received nine more lovely tea cup sets from an estate of one of the founding members of the Lewiston community, and many date back to the 1940s. Each guest at the tea will have a different cup and saucer, and many have a story to tell!

The high teas are becoming quite popular with patrons from out of the area, including Cragmont, Lewiston, and Kooskia. Last month's tea brought ten guests from Lewiston.
The three courses offered during this afternoon event at the inn include a first course of hors 'doeuvres, fruit and relishes, followed by warm scones, clotted cream, and jams, and the grand finale is an assortment of desserts. Guests especially enjoy the variety of teas served during the courses. The entertainment makes for a perfectly enjoyable Sunday afternoon. Reservations are being accepted now for the Autumn Harvest Tea, October 17. The next tea will be to open the Christmas season in December.

Reserve now for our annual OKTOBERFEST, Sunday, October 3, 4 to 7 p.m.
Full German Meal, including Beef Sauerbraten, Bavarian Pork Loin Roast, Buttery Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Cabbage Rolls, German Sausage, Sweet and sour red cabbage, Warm potato salad, Vegetables, breads and butter, apple strudel. The cost is $15 person, plus tax and gratuity. You will like our decorated biergarten and lively Bavarian music! Enjoy our German beer and wines with your meal!

Children are always welcome at special prices (under 6 free) Please reserve by Saturday noon, call or e-mail.

Now booking Christmas dinner parties! Plan now to treat your office or company to fine dining at the inn! We'll be open Wednesdays through Sundays for private bookings through December 18. (This could be put instead of booking events through September)

9-22-04
This Friday we will serve lunch to about 25 PEO ladies from here in Orofino. We are happy to welcome them back for the second month in a row!

Make reservations now for this weekend! This Saturday, September 25, we are doing a "Texas Lone Star" event, since it's my birthday and my father-in-law always called me the "Yellow Rose of Texas!" We are featuring slow-mesquite smoked beef brisket and grilled chicken, and lots of side dishes to make your mouth water! Dessert will be peaches /n cream deep dish pie. There will be enough to fill even you low-carb folks!

We open at 6:30 p.m., the dinner is $15. We already have three birthdays to celebrate, is there one in your group? We also brought back the national beer of Texas, Lone Star beer, which will be available with the rest of our well-stocked bar.

We've been really busy catering events, including the Weippe Class of '63, and the OHS class of '64 last weekend. We're seeing lots of Lewis and Clark folks, and this weekend we'll also serve barbeque to over 50 National Geographic Society guests from the Linblad Cruise ship line. We're up and running with our fall season of serving biscotti and coffee to the Lewis and Clark tours which come upriver twice a week through mid-November. These people disembark from their cruise ship at the confluence, and get aboard buses for the tour, led by Linwood Laughy of Clearwater Connections.

We are also booking lots of meetings and retreats for the fall. We will welcome Sharon Dahlen and her group of fifteen ladies from their church in Cottonwood for a two-day retreat in October. They will spend one night with us, have three meals, and a wonderful opportunity to grow in friendship and faith! In November Idaho Fish and Game will have their annual meeting here at the inn, and we'll accommodate as many as we can for overnights as well.

Our cabins are still in progress, but we hope to have the first two ready for an October 18 booking!!! We also have hunters flying in from Pennsylvania in November to stay with us.

We have lots of fall events planned, and hope you will be able to attend some of them. First on the docket in October, just next week!!! is our annual OKTOBERFEST, on Sunday, October 3. This will be an afternoon affair, so everyone can be back home before it is pitch dark, and get ready for the new week. On the menu will be our delicious German food, including beef sauerbraten, cabbage rolls, sausage, sweet and sour red cabbage, lots of side dishes, and apple strudel. We'll have German beer available in our "biergarten," and lively German music. We plan to begin serving at 4 p.m., your full meal will be $15, plus tax and gratuity. . Children are always welcome to our events.

We are excited about our first Autumn Harvest HighTea, and the beautiful decorations for this new season of the year. The tea will be Sunday, October 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. We hope to have entertainment, if you have ideas for high tea programs, please let me know. Cost is $12.

We also plan a couple of casual Fridays, I will let you know as plans firm up. People really have enjoyed our Mediterranean nights, and we haven't done Italian in a while. Steak Night was also a big success with our Angus Tri-Tip. Let me know your desires! We hope to see you all soon!

9-14-04
First Cabin Units near Completion at High Country Inn

The first two cabin units are in the last stages of construction this month, as sheet rock has been completed, and flooring and walls will be next. The first cabins are to be known as the Texas Lone Star, in honor of owner Jo Moore's Texan heritage. The Moore's recently returned from a three-week driving trip through the Lone Star State and to the site of their marriage in Galveston in 1954, in honor of their 50th wedding jubilee year. It was while they were traveling and visiting relatives through the beautiful hill country that Jo had the idea to name and decorate the first set of two units in the Texas Lone Star motif. A shopping spree through antique and gift shops garnered a carload of decorations for their cabin project, and in addition, they loaded up on mesquite wood for their special barbeques, and a couple cases of the national beer of Texas, Lone Star! This they will be serving at their next Roadhouse Barbeque next weekend, September 25.

We'd like to welcome almost twenty new subscribers to our newsletter! We hope to see you all up at the inn again soon!

Our first high tea of the new season turned out to be quite a success, with 22 guests enjoying food, wonderful music, and fun! The lovely new teacups which our friends have brought us were a big hit! We had so many compliments, and requests for another tea soon, that we've decided to offer an Autumn High Tea on Sunday, October 17, a little over a month away.

Our guests especially enjoyed the mango Ceylon tea which was served with the first course of both warm and cold hors d oeuvres, fruit and veggie plates. Some thought that was all there was to it, and then came the second course, that of warm berry scones, served with clotted cream, butter, and jam. Several were wishing they hadn't eaten so many of the first course when they saw the final course of dessert offerings, which included a plate of mango bars, apple tarts, and brownies, but no one refused when we came around with cherry crepes and lemon strawberry curd trifle, topped with cream! Patrick's music on the Irish Harp was divine as always, and complimented so well the wonderful afternoon. Several new friends were made at the different tables, and I don't think the four men present felt out of place at all!

This coming weekend is our big fair, Lumberjack Days, and there will be lots of visitors to the area. We will be open on Sunday afternoon, September 19, for people to drop in and visit, have some light refreshments, and view our cabin project and facilities. If you have visitors, please bring them up! The logging show is in the morning, and we will be open after everything is over at the fairgrounds. (3 to 6 p.m.)

Our next event for the public will be a return of our popular Texas Roadhouse Barbeque, and we brought back mesquite from Texas, just for smoking our meats. We also packed up two cases of the national beer of Texas, Lone Star, to serve with this first barbeque of the fall. A full meal of smoked meats, side dishes, and dessert will be for the offering, for $15 person, Saturday, September 25. We'll be open again Sunday for the same meal, serving at 5 p.m. if someone can't make it on Saturday. We have a party of five already coming from California that day.

Many have asked about OKTOBERFEST, and we're happy to announce that we will offer a full Bavarian dinner on the first weekend of October, in keeping with German tradition. Sunday, October 3,(the day after our 50th wedding anniversary!) we will have the inn transformed into a "biergarten" complete with rollicking music, German beer, and authentic Bavarian cuisine. We will serve from 4 to 7 p.m., everyone is welcome to bring a beer stein if they have one, and come for a good time. $15 person for dinner.

On Sundays during the fall, when we're home, we hope to have the inn open for those who are out for a ride and want to stop in for something to drink and relax a bit. We have had several guests show up at our door and ask if we're open, and if we're here, we say, "Come on in, make yourself at home!"

You may reserve for any of these events at any time, either by e-mail or phone. Prices do not include tax or gratuity.

8-31-04
We just returned from our three weeks' 50th anniversary trip through Texas, seeing old friends and relations along the way, and we're back and gearing up for the fall season, looking forward to seeing you again.

This Friday, September 3, will be our first public event in a month, and we're featuring Friday Steak Night, with our delicious Angus Tri-Tip beef. Many of you have had it up here, and know how tender and tasty this cut of beef is. A full dinner, including dessert and beverage, will be $15. We'd love to have you join us, so make your reservations early. The rest of the weekend will be tied up with catering a 25th wedding anniversary and two Lewis and Clark tour dinners, so we'll be busy!

The following weekend we will host our fourth High Tea, on Sunday, September 12, which also happens to be Grandparents Day on the calendar. Our teas have been very well received, and we plan on putting our new cups and saucers to use, that so many of you have brought for my new collection. The three-course tea will be from 3 to 5 p.m., and Pat Donnelly will once again entertain us with his wonderful music on the Irish Harp. Make plans now to invite someone and celebrate the end of summer, and Grandparents Day as well! Cost of the tea, which amounts to a full meal, is $12 plus t & g. Reservations may be made now.

If all goes well, we hope to open our first two cabin units by the end of September. In keeping with my Texas heritage, the decor of the first will be the Lone Star and the Yellow Rose of Texas, and did I have fun shopping while we were in the Texas Hill Country a week or so ago. We'll be anxious for everyone to see our progress this next month or so. During Lumberjack Days we plan to have the inn open on Sunday afternoon, for people to drop by and bring their out-of-town guests for a look-see. Light refreshments will be available. We hope to see you soon!

8-3-04
Catch the spirit of next week's Summer Olympics! Join us for Mediterranean Night this Friday, August 6 Featuring lots of Greek dishes to suit your taste, Greek Salad, grilled pork loin roast, spicy sun-dried tomato and feta sauce over pasta, lamb or chicken shish kebabs, Tsatziki Sauce, Baklava and more! Always a full meal, Friday special just $12.95 plus tax and gratuity Join us in our salute to Athens! Open at 6:30 p.m. Call or e-mail for reservations

This will be our only public event until Labor Day weekend. We plan to be open for Casual Friday September 3, with a repeat of our very successful "Steak Night" with Angus Beef Tri-Tip. You may make reservations at any time.

We are anxious to show off the progress of our cabin construction! You are invited to take a tour of our project! Come on up this Friday and enjoy the outdoors of our deck or sunken garden, or dine inside in cool comfort. This will be our last news to go out until we return from our 50th Jubilee Anniversary trip to Texas.

Once again, thanks to all who have brought china cups and saucers for our high teas. We hope to have our next Tea in September on a Sunday afternoon. Any 'druthers? October will bring both our annual Winemaker's Dinner, also our German Oktoberfest.

7-28-04
 Our next public event is August 6, Casual Friday Mediterranean Night. Enjoy Greco-Italian fine dining! Greek Salad, Shish Kebabs, Italian Specialties Full meal just $12.95

We will be gone on vacation August 9-26, to Texas.

Saturday, August 28 Steak Night $15-$18 full dinner

Looking ahead: We are planning a High Tea soon, watch for it!...thanks to all who have brought me china teacups and saucers! We have over twenty now, aiming for at least 40 to accommodate our full house teas!

Also, In October we will have our annual Winemaker's Dinner, featuring Neil Glancey, the award-winning winemaker from Carmela Vineyards in Glenns Ferry, Idaho. If you aren't a subscriber to our newsletter, subscribe now and you'll always know when we have an event planned for you!!!

7-21-04
Hello to everyone!
We've added lots of people to our list lately, so thought I'd send an update on our happenings, especially since we'll be closed for the greater part of August.

This Friday night, July 23, will be barbeque night, with our "Piggy Roast," which will be lean pork loin smoked and served with lots of good salads, and rest of trimmings. We hope you can come! Our deck is really pretty right now, and it's shady by 6:30 p.m. Get a group together for a summer night out!

Then on Sunday we already have a nice number coming for our tri-tip dinner. We can take a few more, and dinner will be earlier than usual, we open at 5, though we probably won't serve before 6 or 6:30.

Last week we had our first "Steak Night" and we had 25 guests, who enjoyed watching our son, Richard, who built our grill, cook their steaks! We'll try to do that at least one more time during the warm weather season. The last event before we take off on our vacation to Texas will be Friday, August 6, with Mediterranean Night. After our return, we hope to have a high tea with all our new cups and saucers, and looking ahead to October, we will have our third annual Wine Tasting.

Our bed and breakfast business is really picking up, so it will be good to get at least two of our cabin units completed before the end of summer! We had some logging done last week, and are cleaning up the limbs to provide a lovely view from the cabins. We hope to see you all soon!

7-13-04
Enjoy the summer at the High Country Inn! Dining on our deck or inside in cool comfort. Everyone is welcome! Just call and tell us you're coming!

Introducing Saturday Steak Night! This Saturday, July 17, 6:30 p.m. Watch your own Angus NY strip steak cooked on our monster grill! Pick your thickness, full dinner $15 to $18, according to steak size Appetizer, garden salad, baked stuffed potato, bread, dessert, and beverage Click here for Reservations

Casual Friday Piggy Roast July 23,  Lean pork loin, smoked and cooked to succulent tenderness! Salads and all the trimmings for a delicious barbeque meal! Full dinner $12.95 open 6:30 p.m.Click here for Reservations

Sunday Steak Night July 25 Open at 5 p.m. US Choice Angus Tri-Tip, the tenderest of cuts! Full dinner $15 Click here for Reservations

Casual Friday Mediterranean Night August 6 A Repeat of a Winner! Enjoy Greco-Italian fine dining! Full meal just $12.95 Click here for Reservations

We will be closed from August 9-25, on vacation to Texas.

Come see the progress on our cabin construction, enjoy a cool beverage in our sunken garden, and relax to sound of the ripple of water in our two fountains.

6-29-04
We're looking forward to this Friday, July 2, and the appearance of the Orofino Brass, playing for our enjoyment, and to kick off the patriotic weekend of July 4th! The group will begin playing at 6:30 p.m., in the sunken garden, and we still have room for more guests, if you haven't made your reservations yet. We'll serve an "all-American" picnic, including barbequed chicken, baked beans, salads, fruit, breads, lemonade, and dessert. Children are welcome, and we'll grill hot dogs for them as well. The Brass has a full two hours of entertainment planned for us, and it should be a great evening!

The beautiful tea cups and saucer sets are still coming in, and I want to thank Herbie Blake of Clarkston for bringing me the beautifully gift-wrapped set last weekend when they came up to enjoy our "Friday with Carol." It has been so heart-warming to receive such a response from my request for tea cups to use for our high teas! No two are alike, most are bone china, and are exquisite! We still need lots more, to accommodate forty or so guests at our holiday high teas. Thanks again also to Freddi Engblom, Nancy Bruns, Dee Ruchert, and Kathy Gabriel for gifting me so far!

We are doing our next high tea on Thursday, July 8, for a private booking, so they'll be in their first use then! We will have room for a couple more tables, if any of you would like to form a small party to attend. The tea will be at 12:30 p.m., and will take the place of a lunch. Cost is $12 person, plus tax and gratuity. We would need reservations by Tuesday morning, July 6.

We are also willing to do lunches or dinners during the week, for a minimum of 10 guests, and will custom-plan your menu. This is especially nice if you have out-of-town guests, and would like them to have a special treat!

We have one private cooking class planned for a Monday in July, and are open to doing more of those, also. Get a group together, and we'll do the rest!

Our next openings for public events will be the weekend of July 23-24. Let me know if you have any special requests, and we'll see what we can do! Thank you once again, for your patronage and good words about us, we're having more and more "new" guests each event! Our B&B business is also picking up, and everyone seems very enthusiastic about our new cabins project! We are already booked for a Christmas party and all rooms the first weekend of December!

6-22-04
Our next casual Friday at the High Country Inn will be next weekend, June 25, featuring a repeat performance of "Friday with Carol," along with our southwest specialty of Beef Fajitas and all the trimmings! Carol Potratz of the Outback Resort near Pierce, will delight us once again with her great voice and a new selection of songs which she has been working on. We are pleased that she will be part of our weekend of good food and entertainment! Do make your reservations soon! Full dinner is just $12 for beef skirt fajitas, cheese enchiladas, beans, rice, and dessert! Remember, we always offer appetizers to go with your favorite beverage! We will open at 6:30 p.m.

We hope you're planning your Fourth of July weekend to be around here, because it's a full weekend of patriotic events! We'll kick off the celebration on Friday, July 2, with a wonderful two-hour program of Americana music performed by Orofino Brass, along with a traditional American picnic supper of barbequed chicken, hot dogs, salads, beans, breads, and dessert. We plan on being outdoors, enjoying our lovely sunken garden and mini bandstand. It looks as if summer is about here, and we'll have plenty of shade to compliment the sun! On Sunday the city of Orofino will sponsor a great day of activities, from a parade and barbeque to a giant professional display of fireworks in the city park.

We are anxious for you to see the progress we're making on our new cabin venture, we have a road down to the site, and will pour the first footings on Monday. The handmade lodge pole pine furniture is arriving today, to be stored in our boat garage until the cabins are completed. We will be featuring an artist's rendition of the new cabins, drawn by Johanne Altmiller, in next week's Clearwater Tribune. We hope to have the cabins completed by the first of August, if weather cooperates!

I would also like to thank those who have continued to bring me sets of teacups and saucers, to add to the collection we just started a few weeks ago. We hope to have about 40 sets to use for our next High Tea! Thanks to Kathy Gabriel, who brought six different cup and saucer sets last week! Those add to the ones already brought me by Freddi Engblom of Orofino, and Dee Ruchert and Nancy Bruns of Lewiston. In case you missed out out on my request, several weeks ago in one of my newsletters I mentioned that I would like to collect matching china teacups and saucers for our teas, and the response began immediately! So if any of you go to yard sales or auctions, and find a good deal, I'll gladly pay you for them! I still need about 28-30 more!

6-9-04
What a great kick-off to the summer was held here at the inn last weekend, with over 125 in attendance to enjoy barbeque, wonderful music, and good company, despite the threatening weather. Many were prepared with umbrellas, and these came out when the clouds did open up, but no one's spirits were dampened in the least! Our hats off to all who didn't let a few sprinkles spoil the fun! We are so glad to have had so many come to our summer kick-off, and we're planning many more events whenever we can sandwich them in between weddings and other private parties.

I want to express my thanks to Dee Ruchert, who brought me two beautiful tea cups and saucers, and to Nancy Bruns, who added to the growing collection with five sets! Both ladies live in Lewiston, and are part of the loyal group of patrons who make the drive over on a regular basis to enjoy our hospitality, and who were at our barbeque last Saturday. Thanks, friends! This now makes nine cups and saucers in my new collection, and we can use about thirty more! So if you happen on any matching china cups and saucers in your rounds of auctions or yard sales, and they can be had for a reasonable price, I will be happy to pay you for them! What fun it will be to have these "one-of-a-kind" sets at our next high tea for conversation pieces!!

We have two events planned within the next few weeks....next Casual Friday will be Friday, June 25, with a southwest flair----an encore of the delicious beef fajitas which were so enjoyed last time we had them. We're looking for some entertainment for that night, western in flavor, so if you know of anyone who would like to perform for their supper, let us know! The meal on June 25 will be Tex-Mex, reminding us of our days on the Texas border, in Laredo. It could also be El Paso!! So for good authentic Tex-Mex food, plan on the 25th with us!

Then, on Friday, July 2, we will open the Fourth of July weekend with a wonderful evening of music, performed by Orofino Brass, a six-piece ensemble of fine horns. The program will be two hours in length, and will have us all tapping our toes or humming along! This will be our "All-American picnic" theme, with barbequed chicken, and all the traditional foods you think of on a Fourth of July picnic! We'll have hot dogs, too, as a side, just because!! Family groups are welcome, with a special price for kids under 12 of just $4. Adults will be $12, plus tax and gratuity, which will come to $15. Get a group together, and make reservations. We'll open at 6 p.m., and we'll be set up outside again, as we were for our event last weekend. The Brass will perform on the new bandstand by the sunken garden. It still hasn't been initiated yet, as we had to move our bluegrass band, Red Eye Gravy, into the foyer due to the rain last Saturday! We're anxious to see how our new addition works! So dress up in your red, white, and blue, and join us in a tribute to America, the finest nation under God, on Friday, July 2!!

By then there should be some real progress on our new cabin construction. We have the road in to the site, and tried to get started this last week, but the rain hampered our plans. We hope to get busy just as soon as the ground dries up enough, and hopefully by the time we have our next event, guests can wander down to see how we're doing. We'll get some logging and clearing done about that time, too, to enhance the view from the cabin site. The cabins will be nestled in the meadow down from the parking lot, surrounded by ponderosa pines, and will offer wonderful privacy for our guests. We're very excited about this new venture!

5-28-04
Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone!

Despite almost continuous rain these last two weeks, we've managed to get some work done on our expansion projects! On Wednesday, all our new underground electric cable system got dug and laid, and even a little digging for the foundation of our first cabin site done, and yesterday the beautiful new Hot Springs spa was delivered and set up on the new deck and bandstand! We now have the hot tub ready for our overnight guests, which will be a great plus! We're keeping our fingers crossed that the sun will bless us with his presence this next week, so we'll be warm and dry for our big Texas Barbeque next Saturday, June 5th! We already have about 75 guests coming, and are planning it to all be outdoors, with Red Eye Gravy scheduled to start playing at 6 p.m.

If you aren't planning to attend this event, then perhaps you'll want to reserve for our next big outdoor party, which will be the fourth of July weekend. On Friday, July 2, we're planning an "All-American" outdoor picnic dinner and will be entertained with Marshall Cook's six-member Brass Ensemble. What a neat way to start off the big Fourth weekend here, especially as there will be big doings in Orofino for the fourth itself, with the parade and fireworks display in the city park.

We hope to get started with the building of our new cabins this next week, if it dries out enough, The site is lovely, tucked into a meadow surrounded by ponderosa pines. The furniture is all being made now, in Missoula, of lodge pole pine, and will certainly add the ambiance we want in the new lodgings. Each cabin will be able to accommodate from four to six, and will have a variety of accommodations, from queen beds in two of them, two full or double beds in one, and the fourth with two sets of bunk beds. All will have a loft and twin bed, and additional sleeping with futons on each lower level. Each will have a porch with lodge pole pine rockers and gliders on each. The cabins will face east and the view is awesome.! We'll put in a horseshoe pit, and there will be deer trails to follow for a little exercise, and of course the hot tub to relax in! We hope to be able to open the cabins by

Our summer will be busy with Lewis and Clark visitors, Elderhostels to feed, weddings, high school reunions, birthday parties, plus the events we can work in for our loyal patrons! We hope to see you soon, and do continue to tell your friends and business associates abut us! We especially welcome inquiries about hosting workshops, meetings, and seminars here for all-day service.

While I'm at it, I'd like to request of you, that if you visit yard sales, auctions, etc., be on the look-out for tea cups and matching saucers that we might use for our "High Teas!" I've already had one friend, Freddi Engblom, bring me two which she bought at an auction last week. I'll gladly pay you for any you might find at a reasonable price! Freddi paid $7 for the ones she found. The other request is that we are always looking for "free" entertainment to feature here at the inn. We were so happy to have the Riendeaus of Lewiston brought to our attention, and they performed for us so beautifully at our last high tea on May 2. It is through our friends such as you that we will succeed!

5-27-04
The High Country Inn, located on the way to Dworshak Dam, is expanding its bed and breakfast facilities, with the addition of a new six-person Hot Spring Spa and outdoor deck, and has just begun construction of four rustic cabins, set in a lovely meadow surrounded by ponderosa pines. The cabins, which will be furnished with hand-made lodge pole pine furniture, are due to be completed by late summer, and will offer accommodations for couples as well as families and groups up to six in number in each unit. The inn has two private bedrooms indoors, and also offers dining for the public most weekends during the year. For the summer months, outdoor dinners and concerts will be offered in the inn's Sunken Garden, and outdoor dining is also held on the deck overlooking the Clearwater River.

All events for the public are by reservation only, and everyone is welcome. The next events planned are an outdoor Barbeque and bluegrass music by Red Eye Gravy, on Saturday, June 5, and an "All American" dinner and concert with a six-piece brass ensemble on Friday, July 2. More information about upcoming events may be found on the Events page.

A full service catering business is also part of the operation, under the name of Country Catering. Country Catering serves an area 50 miles in radius of Orofino, and specializes in serving all kinds of groups, from weddings, reunions, and private parties, to Elderhostels and tours.

5-18-04
We're offering a new theme this Friday, that of Mediterranean Night! The menu will be mostly Greek, with a little southern Italy thrown in for good measure! On the menu will be a choice of beef, chicken or lamb and veggie kabobs, rice pilaf, a big Greek Salad, and other goodies, including a sample of Baklava for dessert! We hope there will be enough interest to see if this is one worth repeating. Invite some friends, and call or e-mail for reservations. We'll open at 6:30. Hope to see you there! Just $9.95 plus t&g!!!

Our deck will be completed this week for the new hot tub, and we're designing the deck so that it will also serve as a bandstand! The sunken garden will be a beautiful spot to offer outdoor summer concerts, and we invite any and all musicians who are interested in "singing or playing for their supper" to contact us! We hope to break ground for the new cabins within the week, and everyone is invited to have a look at the lovely meadow where we'll be building. The lodge pole pine furniture is already being made in Missoula, and we have building permit in hand, about ready to start! We even have reservations for the yet-to-be-built lodging!

Our Bluegrass Night for June 5th is filling up fast, we have 50 reservations already, we hope to accommodate several more, as we'll be outside (crossing our fingers for a repeat of the fine weather we had last year!)

5-12-04
The weather's drippy now, and we need it, but we're looking forward to clearer skies by the weekend, and if not, we always have the great indoors!! Our Casual Friday will be enhanced with the appearance of the Big Guys, Ted Leach and Merk Cannell, who will entertain us with some toe-tappin', hand-clappin', sing-along cowboy tunes while you enjoy a specialty we haven't offered before, "Drunken Chicken!" (To find out more about this dish, check the Public Events page on our web site!!) We'll also smoke some juicy tender boneless pork ribs, and of course serve up the delicious trimmings and dessert you are already used to. Price again for Casual Friday, is just $9.95, a great savings over the value of your meal! We'll open at 6:30. Make your reservations now!

Reservations are coming in at a steady pace for our Kick off the Summer Outdoor Barbeque, slated for Saturday, June 5. This will be our "Bluegrass Night" with the marvelous band, Red Eye Gravy performing for us, beginning at 6 p.m. Price of this multi-meat full barbeque is just $14.95. Last year we were packed, and everybody found a seat in the Sunken Garden, sitting at tables, on the wall, up on the patio, and on the driveway! We hope to have an even bigger crowd this year, so get up a party and make your reservations!!

We are working on the hot tub/deck now, and hope to begin construction on our four new cabins within a few weeks. The new lodge pole furniture is already ordered from Missoula, and we're excited that we already have reservations for cabins that aren't even started!! These will be great for sportsmen, families, couples for a really private getaway. Each cabin will be slightly different, with different sized beds, but all will be able to accommodate up to six, with a loft above. We'll show you around when we have our shindig on June 5.

Hope to see many of you this Friday, and a note of thanks to the great patronage for our last two weekends, with Fajita Night, the High Tea, and Mother's Day. This week we're catering for Park and Recreation up at Three Meadows, and will entertain Fish Hatchery people tonight. The Lewis and Clark tours have started, and we're gearing up for a couple weddings. We plan on a busy summer, and hope you'll be a part of it!

5-11-04
Casual Friday, May 14 just $9.95
Call or e-mail your reservations! open at 6:30 p.m.
"Drunken Chicken" also known as "canned chicken" or "beer butt chicken" is all cooked the same way: smoked on the barbeque while propped up on an open can of beer! The wonderful steam that arises from the boiling beer permeates the flesh and turns out the juiciest, most tender chicken you'll ever eat! We also rub our own mix of spices inside and out of the bird before we put it on, and that adds to the spicy taste! We think you'll like it!

The Big Guys, Ted Leach and Merk Cannell, will play and sing a variety of toe-tapping, hand-clapping sing-along cowboy tunes this Friday at the High Country Inn's Casual Friday.

Saturday, June 5
Make your reservations now for our Kick off Summer outdoor Barbeque, our Blue Grass Night with Red Eye Gravy performing. Several kinds of smoked meats, a full meal served Texas style!!! Plan a party and come on up and enjoy the wonderful music and food. Just $12 person. We're filling up fast!

4-20-04
Spring High Tea May 2

The High Country Inn, located just out of Ahsahka on the way to Dworshak Dam, will host High Tea from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 2. Featured entertainment will be Dr. Dennis and Becky Riendeau of Lewiston, who are an accomplished duo in the field of fine music. Dr. Riendeau, recently retired after thirty years of dentistry in Lewiston, and wife Becky, who has a degree in music, have become serious musicians and are a true delight to hear perform. Becky plays piano and sings, and Dennis plays flute. Both are in the Lewis-Clark Community Concert Band, with Becky in the percussion section. Dennis also plays in the Clearwater Wind Quintet and the Confluence Chamber Orchestra. They have been playing flute-piano duets for many years, and have performed locally many times for groups in the Lewiston area. This will be the first time to showcase their talents in the Clearwater Valley. In Lewiston they have performed three times with the Veteran's Administration's National Medical Musical Group--an orchestra and choir combination. Currently they are regular contributors to the music program of First Methodist Church. This dynamic duo has an unlimited repertoire of music, from the classical, semi-classical, to jazz, and the sounds of the sixties and beyond.

The Riendeau's raised two children, son Joel and daughter Julie, and are currently raising four goats for packing. The Riendeau's comment that so far, the goats have been easier to train!) Guests will enjoy not only being entertained with their concert-quality performance, but will also delight in visiting with this gregarious couple.

A fine treat is in store for those who attend the high tea on Sunday, May 2 at the High Country Inn. The menu for the high tea will consist of three courses, as is the tradition for true high teas. First course will be appetizers and hors d'oeuvres, followed by warm homemade scones with clotted cream, and topped off with the the third course of fine desserts. A house blend of gourmet teas as well as coffee and punch will be served. Reservations are required, either by calling Jo Moore at 476-7570, or visiting the inn's web site at www.thehighcountryinn.com. A Public Events page lists all events, and visitors to the site are welcome to make reservations or become subscribers to the e-mail newsletter published by the Inn.

Other coming events scheduled for the High Country Inn include Mexican Fiesta Fajita Night on Friday, April 30, and Mother's Day Dinner on Sunday, May 9. Reservations are required for all events held at the inn. Everyone is welcome.

Welcome to spring at the High Country Inn!
Join us for our special events!

Casual Friday April 30
Mexican Fiesta
Fajitas, Chicken Enchiladas, rice, beans, dessert
open 6:30 p.m. $9.95

Sunday, May 2 Spring High Tea
Featuring Dennis and Becky Riendeau
with flute and piano
3 to 5 p.m. $10

Mother's Day Buffet Dinner, Sunday, May 9
1 to 4 p.m. $14.95 adults, children $7.50

Coming: Summer Kickoff Barbeque
Saturday, June 5
featuring Red Eye Gravy bluegrass band
6 p.m. $12 person

4-5-04

We were blessed with the early arrival for our newest grandbaby, a little girl, last night, so the waiting is over, and I'll be heading down to Eagle to take care of the crew! Our next events at the inn will be Friday, April 30, with another Casual Friday, Mexican food!!, then our High Tea on May 2, with entertainment by Dr. and Mrs. Riendeau of Lewiston, and on Saturday, May 15, a nice dinner.

Don't forget our June 5 barbeque with bluegrass music from Red Eye Gravy! We already have some reservations for our first outdoor event for the summer! Plans are underway to build a deck with hot tub onto the bedroom suite of the inn, and we'll have a couple of cabins built in the meadow surrounded by pines by this summer! Please tell your friends about our events, and welcome to spring and summer up at the inn!!

3-30-04

We are reserving now for this weekend and return engagement of Carol Potratz, who sang so beautifully for us our last Casual Friday! This weekend is a new menu, there should be something for everyone, from seafood to chicken to veggies!

The rest of April is up in the air, depending on the arrival of our newest Baby Moore, we'd like to schedule a fine dinner for the weekend of April 24, but it will depend on how many are interested! The Saturdays of April 3 and 17 are private catering.

We're also looking ahead to May, haven't had much response regarding a Winemaker's Dinner, so will let that go unless we have several more affirmatives. We could do it in May, or a later date in the summer if it pleases enough patrons. Let us know your thoughts. There is a questionnaire on our web site.

We are planning some improvements to the inn, putting in a door and a deck with hot tub for the main bedroom, also plans are in the works for new cabins in the meadow behind the inn, surrounded by tall pines and a beautiful view! Everything should be in place by summer, if you know of people coming to visit!

We are already receiving reservations for our outdoor barbeque on June 5, what a great way to kick off the summer! But first, this weekend:

Get into spring with Casual Friday, April 2- Carol Potratz returns with music and song!
Special Italian Pasta Buffet Night! Angel hair Pasta Primavera topped with shrimp or grilled chicken breast, Fettuccine Alfredo, Linguine with Clam Sauce, Italian Salad,   Homemade Breadsticks, Dessert. Friday only Special $9.95 plus T&G. Reservations taken until noon Friday, April 2, or until filled

Looking ahead:

High Tea Sunday, May 2 A wonderful event for mothers, grandmothers, and daughters!

Saturday, June 5 Red Eye Gravy Bluegrass Band and Barbeque

Reserving now for all events Bed and Breakfast always open. Now Booking for weddings, reunions, private gatherings through September

3-25-04

We did indeed end up with a nice crowd for our "Friday with Carol" last week, and everyone had a great time! We will feature Carol Potratz again next Friday, April 2, with a special "Pasta Night" for just $9.95 again (a $15 value) and will serve three kinds of pasta dishes, including Linguine with clam sauce, pasta primavera (veggies in the sauce) with choice of chicken or shrimp, and fettuccine alfredo, along with my homemade breadsticks, salad, and dessert! Reserve early if you can, and invite your friends!

We'll be on hold most of April with other public events, as we are expecting our twelfth grand baby to arrive, and Grandma has to go down to Boise to help out when the time comes. So, aside from previously scheduled private events, of which there are several, (April 3,7, 8, 17) we won't try to schedule anything else right now for the next few weeks.

However, we'd like your input about some May special events!
Carmela Vineyards and winemaker Neil Glancey would like to present another winemaker's dinner around mid-May, possibly May 17, the Saturday following Mother's Day. I don't want to schedule one unless we have a commitment from our patrons that it would be well-attended. Also, May would be a good time for another High Tea with entertainment, and the Sunday preceding Mother's Day weekend, which would be Sunday, May 2, might be a good time. We also have an offer from the Brass Ensemble, led by Dr. Marshall Cook, to perform for us when the weather gets nice, so that's another possibility for May. We do have Saturday, June 5 locked in with the very popular bluegrass band, Red Eye Gravy, who will perform for an outdoor Texas-style barbeque! This event takes place the day after school's out, last year we were packed, and it was lovely in the sunken garden!

Do let me know if you are interested in the Winemaker's Dinner and/or the High Tea, as presented.

Other notes about our doings: We are planning construction of a deck and hot tub adjoining the master bedroom, which will then have its own entrance/exit, and also on the docket is the construction of at least two log cabins, to be built behind the inn in a beautiful spot surrounded by ponderosa pines with a lovely view. We hope to have those open by the summer, for bed and breakfast. Keep us in mind when you have guests coming and need somewhere very nice to house them!

3-16-04

We'd like to invite everyone to support our first "Casual Friday with Entertainment," this Friday, March 19, as we present Carol Potratz in song. We have a special price, just $9.95 for the complete dinner, plus tax and gratuity. Menu this week will be a repeat of the Captain's Bounty, which went over very well two weeks ago at our first Friday event of the new season. We'll serve my homemade clam chowder, clam strips, fish and chips, cole slaw, other salads, breads, and dessert! Carol will entertain us throughout the evening, so it's a great way to kick off the weekend. We will open at 6 p.m.

Two weeks from now, on April 2, our casual Friday will feature seafood pasta, including linguine with clam sauce and other fine dishes a la Italia. Carol will also be on hand to sing for us. Let's give her a warm welcome as she re-enters the entertainment arena!

We will not be open on Saturdays for a while, as our schedule is tied up in catering private events. We are also expecting our first grandchild in over ten years in April, so will be doing lots of traveling to Boise (Eagle) between our catering!

Please make your reservations for either or both of our Friday events, and we'll look forward to seeing you! Our St. Paddie's event last weekend was a full house again, and we so enjoyed Patrick Donnelly and the Irish Harp. We greeted several newcomers to the inn, and hope to see you back soon!

Wine Tasting April 16

On another note: I'd like to invite everyone to the 30th annual Wine Tasting event to be held Friday, April 16, in the Little Flower Room at St. Theresa's Church. This event, formerly sponsored solely by the Ladies' Auxiliary of Clearwater Valley Hospital, is now co-sponsored by the CVH Foundation. The room will be transformed into a "wine cellar," and you'll be treated to samples of fine wines and micro-brews, along with tasty cheeses, fruits, and breads, while you learn about the beverages being featured. This is the gala event of the spring for the community, and is an opportunity to meet all the physicians and supporters of our modern rural hospital, as well as learn about the exciting improvements being made to provide the best in medical care to all. Tickets will be available at the door for just $12 each, and there will be several lovely theme baskets to be sold by silent auction. Invite your friends, and plan to attend!

3-10-04

Great news on our Casual Fridays! We have scheduled two at two-week intervals, the next one being Friday, March 19, and the following one Friday, April 2. Both will feature live entertainment, with Carol Potratz providing songs for our enjoyment. Carol plays the piano as well as using her own recorded accompaniment, and I'm sure you will enjoy listening while you relax from the week! Menus for both Fridays will be seafood, with March 19 featuring a return of the Captain's Bounty, which was very well received last weekend.

We are hoping to offer free entertainment on a regular basis, with the talent we have present in our lovely area! Thanks to you who have responded with my request to know of local entertainers. Continue to keep a look-out for us, and of course, we want to have return performances from favorites, such as the Treble Three, the Big Guys, and others. We hope to have Red Eye Gravy perform for us the weekend that school is out, on Saturday, June 6. Last year we had an overflow crowd in the sunken garden for their show!

We'll have a nice crowd for our St. Paddie's this weekend, we're looking forward to hearing the lovely Irish harp again! It'll be the wearin' of the green, and we might even pour a little green beer! For those of you who are coming, we open at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be buffet, so you can have what and how much you wish!

Thanks to those who took the time to answer our survey. One of the questions answered was about Mother's Day. The responses were mixed, however, since I put out the survey, I have been scheduled to do a wedding for two veterinary medicine graduates who will be married here on Sunday, May 9, the day following their graduation from WSU! So that answers the Mother's Day question! We are still considering an Easter Buffet for early afternoon if we have enough interested.

2-24-04

Many, many thanks to everyone who helped make our last two Saturday nights a sell-out crowd! We had a full house for both Valentine's Night, and a wonderful Mardi Gras, with fifty people having a good ole' time! The music was fabulous, with Chris Steiner on the keyboard, most of the evening, and a few selections also played by our own Cathy Curtis!

Our events for March so far include our first Casual Friday of the year, on Friday, March 5. We'll be serving up "Captain's Bounty," with my homemade clam chowder, Cole slaw, fish and chips, and dessert, all for $12.95. For those of you who are new to our newsletter list, Casual Fridays mean just that; a laid-back time to start the weekend, with a special on dinner, and a fun time. We do still need reservations, so we know how many to cook for! We've had entertainment at several of our events, and we're looking for more to join in the good time had at the High Country Inn. If you know someone who likes to perform their music, let us know, or have them call us! If our Captain's Bounty is a success, we'll offer more on the Fridays to come.

Our March "Big Event" will be the celebration of St. Paddie's on Saturday, March 13, with a choice of corned beef, cabbage, and trimmings of carrots and potatoes, or Baron of Beef, and a baked potato bar for those who do not care for the "Irish" meal. Dinner includes salad, Irish soda bread and rolls, and dessert. We'll be entertained by the beautiful Irish harp, played so ably by Patrick Donnelly, whose birthday, by the way is on St. Patrick's Day! The cost for this meal if $15 person. If you have not already reserved, you might want to do so soon, as we already have over twenty reservations, and we're almost three weeks away! When you reserve, indicate whether you prefer the corned beef or Baron of Beef.

We're working on a barbeque for March 20, and trying to line up some C&W entertainment for that. All we can pay our entertainers is food and beverage, so that lets out the "big-timers!" Some of our family will be up from Boise that weekend, so thought we'd throw another "party!"

Again, thanks so much for your wonderful patronage during February, we had so many newcomers who have promised to return soon. Do continue to spread the word among your friends, new subscribers can print out a coupon good on their first meal up here.

We are also getting back lots of comments to our little survey, if you still want to comment, please do so on a new message, as I am printing them all off so they can be compiled.

2-17-04
Mardi Gras a traditional Pre-Lenten Celebration

Not only in New Orleans will there be revelry to mark the last days of Ordinary Time before the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 25. Here in Orofino the High Country Inn will mark this last weekend before Lent with their second annual Mardi Gras, serving traditional New Orleans style food, complete with music, beads, and masks for all guests. In New Orleans the revelry lasts a full week, culminating on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The words "Mardi Gras" literally translate "Fat Tuesday" in French, meaning that revelers "fatten up" before the traditional fasting of Lent begins as the precursor to the celebration of Easter. Nowadays there is not much fasting in the Church around the world, only two days during the entire forty-day season, but party traditions live on!

Decorations of purple, green, and gold will highlight the decorations throughout the inn, and the traditional King's Cake, complete with a prize "baby" will round off the robust meal. Piano entertainment by Chris Steiner, Cathy Curtis, and any other guest who would like to bring an instrument or voice to add to the fun will be on tap. There are just a few reservations left for this fun event.

The inn will not be open the last weekend of February, but the first Casual Friday of the year will be held March 5, with a "Captain's Bounty" fish and chips meal. The inn will have its first St. Paddie's celebration on Saturday, March 13, with entertainment by Patrick Donnelly on the Irish Harp being the added bonus. A choice of corned beef and cabbage or Baron of beef and potato bar will be offered. Reservations may be made for any of these events online or by phone. New subscribers to the inn's web site receive a $3 coupon on their first dinner at the inn.

2-9-04
Treble Three to Perform at Inn Sunday

The Treble Three, Jan Holzer, Ev Olson, and Kathy Goetsch, accompanied by Joanne Hutchinson, will perform at Sunday Dinner, February 15, part of Valentine's Weekend at the High Country Inn. This group has a fine selection of music to suit the theme of love, and their harmony is divine! Dinner will be at 3 p.m., allowing travelers to return home before it is too late. On the menu is a choice of Stuffed Boneless Pork Loin, or Chicken Breast baked in Black Cherry Sauce, a full dinner including appetizer, soup, salad, desert, and beverage. A long-stemmed red rose will be presented to each lady present. Everyone is invited to this special event! First-time subscribers to the inn's web site can secure a $3 coupon towards dinner. Visit our Public Events page for more details.

1-26-04
Monkey Talk by Jo Moore

The year 2004 marks the year of the monkey, one of twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar. We are currently in the midst of the fifteen-day celebration of the Chinese New Year, which will end on February 7. Although not celebrated widely in our state, it is a very important holiday for the Asian culture, including all of the countries of the orient, as well as all the Chinatowns of the United States. Each of the twelve animals of the Zodiac are represented every twelve years, and people born during the year of a certain animal are supposed to possess certain qualities characteristic of that animal. For instance, those born in the year of the monkey, (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, and 2004) are supposed to be very intelligent, great problem solvers, and have sharp memories. The downside is that if they can't get to their problem immediately, they become discouraged and lose interest. They also tend to look down on others who don't share their qualities, however, they are very generous. Are you a monkey?

The Asian culture shares many common traditions for the Chinese New Year, and being the month of January, they are ones which I think especially appropriate for us all. They include: appeasing the Kitchen God. This one I really like, being a cook! This means cleaning the kitchen, and offering up good foods so that the Kitchen God will be pleased and put in a good word for us

Paying off and forgiving debts, thoroughly cleaning house, and giving small gifts are some others which work well for the first of the year for all of us! Other traditions include giving coins in red envelopes, and offering oranges as a good luck food to guests.

From the first year that I taught school after coming to Idaho, from 1981 through 1999, our class always celebrated Chinese New Year, and it was one of the most popular culture units we studied each year. The children especially enjoyed hearing and reading Chinese legends and tales, working Chinese math puzzles such as Tangrams, making their costumes for the noisy parade around school, sharing in the customs, (In the classroom, we all cleaned our desks for the celebration!) and especially cooking and serving a Chinese meal to their parents! Many of those children have grown up and have their own families now, but I still enjoy the fun of celebrating Chinese New Year.

This year once again I'll unpack all the paper lanterns, parasols, and other colorful decorations, and we'll cook some favorites from our classroom, as well as Korean specialties, from the recipes of Yong Cluck, who has been up to the High Country Inn on two other occasions to be our guest chef. We will celebrate Chinese New Year with a full-course meal, including appetizers and soup, as well as tea and dessert. We invite our guests to wear something red for good luck, and come up to enjoy our fine meal, Friday, February 6, at 6:30 p.m.

Chinese New Year Menu
Appetizers: Yakimandu (Fried won tons) and Egg rolls
Soup: Mandu-guk (Won ton soup)
Entrees:
Taejigogi Mongolian Pork
Takgogi Mongolian Chicken
Bulgogi Mongolian Beef
Chop Chae Cold Noodle Salad
Kimchee Korean Cabbage Relish
Also: Steamed pork buns
Dessert: Almond Crème with Mandarin oranges
Tea, coffee
Email us to make reservations or call 476-7570

1-20-03

Happy New Year to everyone! We've been laying low in January, but gearing up for lots of things happening as we approach our second anniversary of the High Country Inn. We know you won't be able to attend all that we have planned, but perhaps you can get to a few. We are excited about celebrating with you, and hope to see you soon!
Second Anniversary Events through February!

Chinese New Year Party Friday, February 6, Korean cuisine $15. We'll be decorated throughout, and the color for Chinese New Year is RED! This is the year of the monkey. Yong Cluck will be helping us cook again, an authentic oriental cuisine!

Valentine's High Tea Sunday, February 8, 3-4:30 pm entertainment by Treble Three $10. Our Christmas event was a full house, so we're trying another--it should be lots of fun, especially a treat to hear Jan Holzer, Kathy Goetsch, Ev Olsen, and Joanne Hutchinson on the piano!

Valentine's Fine Dining Friday, Saturday, Sunday...We've planned a variety of menus, and hope one will please you. We will also serve a vegetarian entree for those who prefer.

Dinners includes long-stemmed rose for each lady, door prizes (Make sure the men see this!)

February 13, 14, 15 featuring:

Friday: Italian Cuisine $20

Saturday: Surf and Turf $25 , entertainment by the Big Guys

Sunday Dinner 3 to 5 p.m. Stuffed Pork Loin or Chicken Breast with Black Cherry Sauce $20

All three days Vegetarian Pasta entree available!

Saturday, February 21 Mardi Gras! Cajun and Creole Cuisine $18 We'll have muffalettas for appetizer, and King's Cake for dessert! Includes masks, beads, music! Last year's event was a hoot, and we are sure that this year will be even better

Looking ahead: Saturday, March 13 St. Patrick's celebration, featuring Irish Harp played so well by Pat Donnelly $15 full traditional Irish meal of corned beef, cabbage, all the trimmings, dessert, etc.

All dinners include appetizers, soup, dessert, coffee

Unless otherwise noted, all events are at 6:30 for social, begin serving at 7 p.m.

We'll have more details on menus shortly, and will publish on our web site.

We're still working on entertainment for events, especially for Mardi Gras, (jazz, Cajun, etc.) and for our Valentine's celebrations. Friday and Sunday. If you know of anyone who likes to perform, and do it yourself, we'd love to have entertainment at the inn whenever we have a party! At this moment the only pay we can offer is a good meal and drink!, and a small stipend when we can!!

Further ahead: We're hoping to get a group together to have a Dinner Theatre with the splendid actors we have in town, other ideas are a Mystery Dinner, speakers' series with dinner, etc. Let us know what you'd like us to offer! We appreciate your patronage, especially your telling others about us! Remember we are open for Bed and Breakfast year-round when you have out-of-town guests!

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