One of the best parts of summer at our Bed and Breakfast Berkshires is the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. If you hope to witness it in 2012–the 80th anniversary of the festival–it’s time to start making plans.

The line-up at Jacob’s Pillow is always superlative. Highlights in 2012 include:

• Opening Dance Party, with performances by CIRCA, Mimulus, David Halberg, and others, and dancing by all.

• Morphoses World Premier. Arresting visuals, gorgeous dancing, and a new score. Fabulous.

• Mimulus. An exciting blend of samba, contemporary dance, and imaginative visuals design.

• Leesaar The Company. A “gutsy, brainy modern-dance troupe” (from The New York Times).

• The Men Dancers: From the Horse’s Mouth. A unique, extraordinary event.

• Jonah Bokaer x David Hallberg. A rare opportunity to see some of today’s most extraordinary artists in an intimate setting.

• Doug Elkins and Friends’ Fräulein Maria. An uproarious deconstruction of Rodgers and Hammersteins musical The Sound of Music.

As always, there will be free outdoor performances by the dancers of The School at Jacob’s Pillow every Wednesday through Saturday at 6:25 p.m.

It’s impossible to go wrong at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, for every performance is worth seeing. The setting is beautiful, the art extraordinary. It’s the perfect place to spend a summer evening.

The 80th Anniversary Festival runs June 16 – August 26, 2012. Visit Jacob’s Pillow for more information and tickets, then book your room at our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast.

Ventfort Hall, Mansion and Gilded Age Museum, in Lenox.

Celebrate Mother’s Day Weekend this year at our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast, and take mom to the Pre-Mother’s Day Pink Tea and Ballet at Ventfort Hall.

The Pre-Mother’s Day Pink Tea and Ballet begins on Saturday, May 12, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. Entertainment is by the American Dance Insitute Ensemble, the Albany Berkshire Ballet Junior Company, and the Catarella School of Dance. A special pink tea and refreshments will be served after the ballet.

Ventfort Hall is a historic mansion and Gilded Age Museum in Lenox, Massachusetts, not far from our Berkshires Inn. Built in 1893 for Sarah Morgan (sister to J.P.), this Jacobean Revival-style mansion is being restored to its former glory.

The first floor of Ventfort Hall is home to The Museum of the Gilded Age. As the name suggests, exhibits focus of the life and times of the Gilded Age, which lasted from the late 1860s to the end of the century.

Currently on exhibit is “Les Petites Dames de Mode”, 59 exquisite miniature fashion models that portray the history of women’s fashion from 1855 to 1914. The ladies and their fabulous costumes were lovingly created by John R. Burbidge, who was Senior Designer for the famous bridal house, Priscilla of Boston prior to his retirement. This was a labor of love.

Bring Mom–either your mother or the mother of your children–to our Bed and Breakfast Berkshires for Mother’s Day this year. Spend the weekend exploring the area, and enjoy a special Pre-Mother’s Day Pink Tea and Ballet at Ventfort Hall. Moms deserve to be treated well.

Additional information is available at Ventfort Hall.

• 6 large Macintosh Apples, Peeled and cored
• 4 Tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
• 4 Tablespoons seedless raisins
• 4 Tablespoons Firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons light cream or ½ and ½
• 6 Tablespoons melted butter
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• Whipped Cream
• Cold Maple Syrup

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Butter 6 individual over proof baking cups. Place one apple in each cup.

Mix together chopped walnuts, chopped raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 Tsp melted butter and cream.

Divide mixture evenly in the apples, pressing some well into the core and heaping the rest one top of each apple.

Pour 1 Tables spoon melted butter and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup over each filled apple.

Bake for 35-40 mins until apples are tender but still hold there shape.

Let cool to warm serve with a dollop of soft whipped cream and a dribble of cold maple syrup on each.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup onion, minced
• 10 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 10 oz cooked, squeezed spinach

Mix all ingredients together. Place in a greased 9 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. May be baked a day ahead and reheated.

Serves 8.

Learn about the Shaker farm animals this April at Hancock Shaker Village.

Spring is a fabulous time to visit a Shaker Farm.

The month of April is devoted to baby animals at Hancock Shaker Village, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Guests of our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast have a few more days to experience this event.

Daily Behind-the-Scenes tours are being given at 2 p.m. (with additional tours at 10 a.m. on weekends). Get close to newborn pigs and learn a bit about animal husbandry, Shaker style. The crowning moment is a hayride around the farm, with animals aboard. Warning: not for the allergic!

New work by Stockbridge artist Susan Merrill will be on display in the Poultry House throughout the month. Her paintings feature animals from Hancock Shaker Village; proceeds support programming at the village.

Beginning in April, it’s also possible to Choose Your Own Shaker Adventure at Hancock Shaker Village. You can learn a Shaker Song and Dance, take a calf for a stroll, and cook in the Shaker kitchen (which dates from 1830). Learn about Shaker architecture, Shaker Spirituality, or Shaker Medicine. These adventures are offered through the fall, and are a wonderful way to delve into the Shaker lifestyle.

Hancock Shaker Village is about 30 minutes from our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast.

Please visit the Hancock Shaker Village website for additional information.

Summer at Applegate means fresh raspberries.

We’re proud to be members of the Berkshire community, and to own and operate a Berkshires Bed and Breakfast.

Sharing the beauty and bounty of the Berkshires is one of the best parts of the work we do. We love to help guests discover our “back yard” during their stay.

One of the ways we do this here at our Berkshire Inn is through the food we serve.

One of the great pleasures of life: eating food you’ve grown

We are members of Berkshire Grown, an organization dedicated to supporting local food and farms. Whenever we can, we purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables and locally raised meats. As you know if you’ve stayed with us in the past, many of the herbs and summer vegetables that end up in our breakfasts are grown in our own garden.

Many of our guests travel from great distances to experience the communities and natural beauty of the Berkshires. It’s the least we can do to serve foods that reflect the land our guests have come to visit.

To learn more about Berkshire Grown, please visit their website.

To enjoy the bounty of the Berkshires, come to Applegate Inn.

Filling
16 oz cream cheese (or lite cream cheese)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cup sugar
optional: applesauce, sliced fresh fruits or berries
only if cooked and served the same day.

Trim crusts from bread. Spray a 3 quart baking dish with a non-stick pan coating. Arrange half the bread on the pan so that the entire bottom is covered. In a separate bowl mix eggs, half and half, vanilla and sugar. Pour half of this liquid over the bread. In a separate bowl combine filling ingredients, except optional fruits, together until creamy. Pour filling over moistened bread, then layer with optional fruit if desired. Arrange other half of the bread over the filling and pour the remainder of the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle top with dash of nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into 12 rectangles to serve. Serve with warmed syrup or seasonal fruits.

Serves 12

Experience The Ring Cycle at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington.

Spending an evening at one of our local theaters is a favorite activity for guests of Berkshire Inns, no matter where they call home.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington offers sensational programming year-round. Dance, music, theater, opera, and film are all showcased in this restored, historic theater. In the next two months alone, guests of Applegate Inn may:

• Watch the 1953 film Titanic (April 15)
• Hear China’s “Empress of Pipa”, soloist Liu Fang and CEWM–Trade Winds–From China with Love (April 21)
• Laugh with Comedian Bobby Collins (May 5)
• Experience The Met Opera Ring Cycle (May 7-20)

The newly restored Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield also offers year-round programming. On April 17, 2012, our guests may see The Magic of Bill Blagg Live, a show that has been called “The Second City meets David Copperfield.” Bon Journey, a Bon Jovi and Journey tribute band, performs on April 20; and the Bronx Wanderers take the stage on the 27th to share their love of doo-wop and rock n’ roll.

Adding theater to a Berkshires Bed and Breakfast getaway makes time here that much more memorable. So go ahead, have a night out on the town in Pittsfield or Great Barrington.

Golf in the Berkshires this spring.

We certainly have had spring weather here at our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast. It was in the 80s not long ago, then we had a freeze. If you are planning to spend a few days with us in the near future, be sure to pack both sweaters and shorts!

Crazy weather aside, spring is here. We know, because Greenock Golf Course, which is across the street from our Bed and Breakfast in the Berkshires, is now open. They’re running their spring rates, which are quite reasonable.

Spring is a great time to leave the city and spend a few days golfing in the country of Western Massachusetts. The greens aren’t crowded, and it is rarely uncomfortably hot or cold. Come with your spouse or come with your golfing buddies.

Spend your days trying to get the little ball in the tiny holes, and spend your evenings sipping wine and nibbling cheese at the Applegate Inn. Relax in our parlor or lounge on our screened porch or by the pool.

You may want to spend an afternoon in a local museum. It’s always fun to revisit the past with a trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum in nearby Stockbridge, where there is currently a great exhibit on the portraits of Everett Raymond Kinstler.The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield is also a fun place to visit, with it’s varied exhibits on ancient history, art, and natural history.

Spring is a lovely time in the Berkshires, whether you spend your time golfing, visiting museums, hiking, or simply relaxing. Come see for yourself.

Enjoy a romantic dinner during a mid week getaway in the Berkshires.

We offer a mid week lodging special at our Berkshire Bed and Breakfast through May that is perfect for a romantic getaway. It involves a complimentary prix fixe dinner for 2 at one of our favorite restaurants, including your first glass of wine.

This special may be used at the following Berkshires restaurants:

Alta Restaurant and Wine Bar in Lenox. Local and organic ingredients form the base of this inspired Mediterranean cuisine. The wine list is extensive, and there are 24 wines offered by the glass. The people who work here are happy, the food sophisticated, the wine satisfying and well-priced.

Chez Nous in Lee. Chez Nous is, as its name suggests, casual. You feel like you’re in the home of the two chefs who created the restaurant, pastry chef Rachel Portnoy and French chef Franck Tessier. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The food is out of this world.

Morgan House in Lee. Located just down the street from our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast, Morgan House is cozy and warm. The food isn’t fancy, but it is tasty and satisfying.

Old Inn on the Green in Marlboro. The fine dining restaurant at Old Inn on the Green is romance incarnate. Faces are lit by candlelight. The atmosphere is warm and the food is innovative, elegant and inspired. Dining here is, quite simply, sublime.

Perigee in South Lee. The place to enjoy New England favorites, plain and simple. This wonderful restaurant will be closed through April but will reopen in May.

A good dinner in the right restaurant is almost inherently romantic. Come see for yourself. Come to the Berkshires.