Spend The Holidays At The Retreat

The holidays bring families together to share great meals and to express love and affection for each other.

However, holiday time can also have stress and frustration. Spending the holidays at the John & Lucille Country Retreat can help alleviate the holiday hassle while saving money too.

Decorating- Let us decorate for you. The farmhouse is decorated beautiful for the holidays. You will save time by not having to put up the tree or take it down afterwards. Decorating for the holidays is a big job and takes a lot of planning and time.

Visiting Military- Staying at the retreat is as close to home as you can get for the holidays. We also give a 10% military discount for those visiting with marines at Camp Lejuene and Cherry Point.

We enjoyed staying at this wonderful, peaceful, comfortable home as we welcomed "home" our son/brother from his (USMC) deployment to Iraq. We will likely be back again, and will spread the word about this special place. Thank you for all the care you take, Deloria, to make it so nice. Ludwig Family, Melbourne, Fl

Hosting Holiday Festivities- Families often alternate hosting the holiday get-togethers. Spending the holidays at a centrally located home enable groups to split the holiday duties and expenses equally.

Roomy: The John & Lucille Country retreat easily seats 12-14 people in the dining area and there is plenty space needed to prepare the meals. The kitchen is fully equipped including a turkey roaster and lovely china to set a beautiful table for those holiday meals. Also if your house is small, sometimes guests are sent to nearby motels. The cost of renting the Farmhouse is less than booking multiple hotel rooms.

No Housework: With people in town for the holiday season, it is harder than usual to keep the house neat. We eliminate all the cleaning before guest arrive. You will begin your celebration as soon as you arrive.

Affordable: During the holiday season travelers can benefit from the reduced rates during the traditionally slower season.
Your wallet will thank you. Rental Rates - 2008

Our guest leave comments about how wonderful the Retreat is for families. Spending time here for the holidays will be special. Our guest say it best.

Visit John & Lucille's Country Retreat website

Grapes Ripe In September

On the north side of the farmhouse my parents planted Muscadine grapes over 25 years ago. The grape arbor now stretches 25 -30 feet long and is a beautiful site from the windows in the kitchen and dining area. Near the end of August the grapes begin to ripen and continue into October.

Muscadine grapes are native to the south and many people called them scuppernong. However, Scuppernong is the first cultivar named of the muscadine grapes. Here at the farmhouse there is also the Thomas (black) grape which is very good for cooking. To me, the scuppernong grape is the best eaten fresh from the vine. Grapes will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.

Guest vacationing at the farmhouse are encouraged to enjoy these delicious grapes. Part of the fun is the fellowship with friends and family while standing around the grape vine. I even have a bench for those who wish to rest for a few moments while picking and eating grapes. It an experience to be among the lush green leaves on the vines that cascade toward the ground, to smell the aroma of the ripe fruit and to taste this sweet fruit. This is a special season for me because is makes me so aware of the joy friends, family, and guest have here at this special home place of my parents.

During grape season I love to cook a grape pie. If you like fruit pies, I am sure you will love a grape pie too. I have cooked this pie and it is one of my favorites.

Grape Pie

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
5 cups fresh black or muscadine grapes
¾ cups sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

Line a 9-inch pie-plate with half of pastry; set aside
Wash grapes thoroughly, and remove seeds.
Place grapes in a large saucepan.
Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce heat
Cook 15 minutes or until grapes are soft.
Remove from heat; stir in sugar, tapioca, lemon rind, and lemon juice.
Spoon mixture into pastry-lined pie plate.
Cover with top pastry.
Trim edges of pastry; seal and flute edges.
Cut slits in top of pastry to allow steam to escape.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes;
Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes

Dee’s Tip: Especially if I am using muscadine grapes, I add a couple drops of red food coloring to the grape mixture. It kicks the color up a notch!!


Source: Southern Living Annual 1985 Recipes page 212.

For information and reservation call 800-892-6775. Also visit the website: http://www.stellacountryretreat.com/

Eating Fresh Figs -A Highlight for Guests at the John & Lucille Country Retreat

One of the amenities while staying at the John & Lucille Country Retreat is picking the fresh fruit grown around the house. Guest can pick fresh plums, apples, figs, Muscatine grapes, and pecans when in season. For many guest this is a highlight of the week here at the Retreat. There is something special about eating home grown fruit while strolling the beautiful yard surrounding the Retreat. In late July and August figs begin to ripen.

Here at the John & Lucille Retreat the variety grown is call Celeste, a small to medium size fig that has a sugary flavor. It has a light violet to a violet-brown color with flesh of reddish amber. Figs must be allowed to ripen fully on the trees before they are picked. They will not ripen if picked before they mature. A ripe fruit is slightly soft and beginning to bend at the neck. Fresh figs only keep in the refrigerator 2-3 days so our guests are encourage to enjoy picking and eating plenty of figs while they are vacationing.

While many people think of figs as the main ingredient in Fig Newtons® or maybe preserves few have enjoyed the juicy sweet taste of fresh figs. The good news is not only are fresh figs a delicious fruit but they have great health benefits too. Figs are a good source of potassium which helps to control blood pressure. They are also a good source of dietary fiber and calcium promoting positive weight management and bone density. Finally they contain the trace mineral manganese.

Figs grow on the Ficus tree, which is a member of the Mulberry family. The ficus tree has large bright green leaves up to one foot in length. The branches spread wider than they are tall. The fig tree can be traced back to writings in historical documents as well as the Bible. The first notation of fig leaves in the Bible is Genesis 3:7 where after eating the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves
Plums ripen in June

Figs ripen late July - Early August

Muscadine grapes - Late August - October

Pecans fall - October - November

Not Every Watermelon is the Same!

In Eastern North Carolina July means watermelons are ripening. It is always a special treat for the July 4th celebration to eat watermelons. However, not just any kind of watermelon will do!! The melons grown here on the coast are different from any other and have a sweet taste that is exceptional. My Dad always thought it was the weather and the sandy soil since the variety of melon grown here is not particularly special. In fact, varieties grown here on the coast such as Royal Sweet or Crimson Sweet can be easily purchased from Burpee and others. I recon it to be like the Vidalia Onion grown in Vidalia, Georgia where no other onion is as sweet and no other area has ever been able to duplicate it. So be the Bogue Sound Watermelon grown in the Bogue area of Carteret Country.

The locals have always known that the best watermelons are Bogue Sound Watermelons. Usually these melons are available from July until about mid August. On hot summer afternoons during my childhood, my mother would cut a chilled watermelon. There was always anticipation of how red it was on the inside, since in our experience that was an indicator of just how sweet and juicy it would be. She would cut the slices lengthwise so that everyone got some of the “heart” as we called it. The “heart’ or center of the watermelon is the sweetest and reddest part and few seeds.


So where are these culinary delights grown? The farms on and around Highway 24 from Cape Carteret to Morehead bordering directly or indirectly on Bogue Sound has always been considered to be Watermelon Mecca. Even though these melons have been popular locally for as long as I can remember and some think for at least 100 years, not until the Bogue Sound Watermelon Growers Association formed in 2005 and a specific sticker designed by the state to be placed on each melon, did people really know when they were getting a bonafide Bogue Sound Watermelon.

With the tobacco Buy-Out farmers started growing more watermelon to help their farms continue to be profitable. The establishment of the association gave the growers of Bogue Sound Watermelon a branding and identity that has helped expand their market area. Now a Bogue Sound Watermelon can be found in supermarkets across the nation with a cute colorful sticker labeling it as a Bogue Sounder. There are approximately 20 farmers in the association and each member brings their watermelons to a central shipping location, for inspection to ensure consistent and uniform quality and size.

If you are vacationing here at the John & Lucille Country Retreat, the closest place to buy your melon is Guthrie Farms on Highway 24 in the town of Bogue, north of Cape Carteret and Bucks Corner Farm located on Highway 58 in Pelieter. Also guest during July and August staying at the Retreat may find one of these delicious melons waiting for them in the refrigerator….chilled and ready to eat. Last week, a family from Canada staying at the retreat called when they returned home to tell me that one of the highlights of the week was the watermelon. They said it was the sweetest melon they had ever had. Of course, I told them this was not just any watermelon. It was a Bogue Sound Watermelon and that was very special.

Bird Watching on the Coast of North Carolina

Over 71 million Americans spent nearly $45 billion on observing, feeding,or watching wildlife in 2006.

Approximately 1 in 6 Americans observe birds to identify species or study their habits around the home. *

North Carolina is a premier bird watching state. Birders have long known that North Carolina has some of the finest birding hot spots in the region. The Crystal Coast is one of those ideal places for bird watching. Carteret County is now part of the Coastal Plain Region of the North Carolina Birding trail with 12 designated sites.

The trail nearest the John & Lucille Country Retreat is part of the Croatan National Forest at the boat ramp area on the White Oak River. This is a 1 mile long loop trail that provides opportunities to view salt marsh and pine/hardwood species of birds and waterfowl. The trail is a combination of boardwalks and paths crossing the marsh and pine/hardwoods as well as along the edge of the river. There are herons, egrets, and osprey. The best birding opportunities is late April through early June. There is great parking, picnic tables, and bathrooms near the trail.

The following link is an excellent brochure about the Cedar Point Nature Trail and the wildlife there. http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/cedar_point.pdf

Species of birds seen on this trail: Red-headed woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Summer Tanager, Painted Bunting, and wading birds.

Directions: From the intersection of NC 24 and NC 58 in Cape Carteret, take NC58 North for 0.7 miles. Turn left on VFW Road. Go 0.5 miles and turn left at the Croatan National Forest Sign.

Travel for about 1 mile to the end of the road.

Additional Notes on Birding:
This past Spring a Painted Bunting and an Indigo Bunting was sited feeding at the home of Ron and Mary Howard on Goose Creek. The only Painted Bunting I have seen is in the North American bird display at the Museum of National History in Washington, DC. So I was very excited to know that here in Carteret County we have these exquisite birds that migrate

through the coastal area.

In April I saw a Pilated Red Headed Woodpecker at Mike Carroll's home at Geoffrey Branch pounding on the siding of his house. Mike wasn't thrilled at the constant pecking sound or the thought of what this huge bird was doing to the siding. However, this bird was spectacular because of his size and brilliant color. Pilated woodpeckers are much larger than the common Red-headed Woodpecker.

Here at the John & Lucille Country Retreat, the Eastern Bluebirds are seen frequently as well as Robins and Mockingbirds. There are many Killdeers at the Farmhouse too. Killdeers are cute birds that use the "broken wing" act to distract anyone from their nest. They breed in open areas and often on gravel. The eggs look like stones so the eggs can be found in the slightest depression in a graveled driveway blending it into the surroundings.

Websites of Interest on Birding

The North Carolina Birding Trail, Salinda Daley, Coordinator
www.ncbirdingtrail.com

email: info@ncbirdingtrail.org

http://www.birding.com/

* 2006 US Fish and Wildlife Service National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (2007) (http://federalasst.fws./gov/surveys/surveys.html )

Historic Swansboro

Swansboro, incorporated 1783 has a population of approximately 1,388 and takes its name from Samuel Swann who was a Speaker in the North Carolina House of Commons and a resident of Onslow County. The town, originally spelled Swannsborough, is sometimes called "The Friendly City by the Sea". M.N. Lisk, a popular Swansboro mayor, was the creator of the annual Mullet Festival, one of the first coastal seafood festivals in North Carolina. The Mullet Festival celebrated 50 years in 2004.

Swansboro is a quaint city with restaurants, shopping, and downtown historic sites. Traveling from the John & Lucille Country Retreat it is only 20 minutes to Swansboro. It is a good place to spend the day on the waterfront city browsing the unique shops on Front Street and eating at one of the great restaurants.

Annual Events and Festivals.

January - Business Showcase - 4th Weekend

March - Annual Oyster Roast - 3rd Saturday - 5PM -8PM

April - Annual Historic Downtown Spring Yard Sale

May - Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament - 1st Friday

Memorial Weekend - Swansboro Bluewater/King Mackerel Fishing Tournament

June - Swansboro Arts by the Sea Festival - 2nd Saturday

July - Fourth of July Parade & Fireworks on Waterfront - July 4th

September - Onslow Bay King Mackerel Fishing Tournament - 3rd Weekend

October - Swansboro Mullet Festival - 2nd Weekend

November - Annual Pig Cook Off - 1st Weekend
Swansboro Candle Light Shopping - 2nd Weekend
Swansboro Speckled Trout Fishing Tournament - 2nd Weekend
Swansboro Annual Flotilla - Weekend following Thanksgiving

Visit http://www.swansboro_nbc.org/

Labels: Swansboro draft 10:38:00 AM by Deloria

What Do Our Guest Think?

I give our guest the opportunity to make comments about their stay at the John & Lucille Country Retreat. Call 252-725-0236 or send email to stella@ec.rr.com for information or reservations.

I think our guest say it best!

February 2009

The Sateys and Johnsons thank you for sharing your well loved home with us. We enjoyed all the amenties from the gift baskets to the Winnie Pooh in the crib. It was a blessing to visit with our newest family additon, and seeing our very loved Chief Johnson before he heads to Afghanistan. Asheville, NC Charlotte, NC Morganton NC Lufkin, TX

The Howieson's would like to thank you for the wonderful environment you have created at the Retreat. Your peaceful setting allowed us to have a serene, comforting place for our last moments with our Marine before he deployed. He was so happy and said it felt like home ad that meant the world to us! Thank you once again for being such an outstanding hostess! God Bless and Semper Fi!

March 2009

Thank you for awesome hospitality! Your retreat is wonderful, we couldn't have asked for a better vacation. Thanks for all the helpful travel hints in your booklet and the goodies. We highly recommend this home. We hope to plan another trip here. God Bless you and your family. The Schmidt Family, Elk Mound, WI

April 2009

Deloria, thank you for such a beautiful and peaceful stay. Your retreat is fabulous and couldn't have asked for more. We had a great family gathering and look forward to many more here! You know exactly how to make a guest feel at home. The baby loved the Easter Basket and snacks and the fruit. I thank you for such great hospitality and beautiful flowers. You really are special and we truly appreciate everything you have done to make this trip memorable! The Westhoff and Beasley Family

June 2008

From the moment we drove up and stepped into the house, it was so-o-o peaceful, cheerful. It just has a good "coming home" feeling. There wasn't anything we needed except groceries and our suitcases. We enjoyed our family reunion here. Very roomy, comfortable. P. Malis, Cortez, Colorado

We have really enjoyed our stay here: very at home and comfortable feeling here. Very Relaxing and great place for our family reunion. Very much recommended! T. Hammond, Cisco, TX.

This place was fantastic! And....exactly what we needed. I am looking forward to reserving this home again next year. A great place for an extended family vacation! S. Payne, Etowah, TN

July 2008

Everything was set up so beautifully. We loved the decor and fresh flowers. We loved the beach and the slower pace. It reminded us of W. Africa where we spent 18 years on the east Atlantic Coast. J. Penner, Ontario, Canada

August 2008

We love this place. We hope to come back again!!! We will get in touch with you! Thanks for your hospitality, the flowers and all arrangements! Very Beautiful!!! The beaches are great and hot! Thanks again for this wonderful get away!!! F. Do Monte, Montreal Canada

We cannot express to you the wonderful feelings we felt upon entering this retreat. It was a home filled with so much love and blessings and we were all lucky enough to get to experience it. All the extra touches placed around the house made our stay that much more enjoyable. The welcome basket, fresh flowers & huge watermelon were all very much appreciated. We hope others will enjoy their stay as much as we did. God Bless and the best to you always. C. DoMonte, Quebec, Canada

September 2008

We enjoyed staying at this wonderful, peaceful, comfortable home as we welcomed "home" our son/brother from his (USMC) deployment to Iraq. We will likely be back again, and will spread the word about this special place. Thank you for all the care you take, Deloria, to make it so nice. (Riso's Resturant and Hammock's Beach State Park are wonderful!) The Ludwig Family, Melbourne, Florida

Thank you for everything! What a warm gracious welcome you gave us. Everything we needed was here. This is such a wonderful "get away from it all" place - yet convenient to the beautiful beaches at Emerald Isle and Hammocks beach state park, we well as Camp Lejeune. The perfect place for our family reunion. K. Benton Gainesville, Florida

Thank you so much for the welcome and hospitality! The house is splendid; the furnishing are beautiful, the rooms are comfortable and cozy, and the land is so peaceful and restful! This beautifully restored and maintained house was full of life and love while we were here, and we truly enjoyed it. We could sense all of the care that has been put into this house, care that we have admired and enjoyed! We very much look forward to coming back! Thank you again Deloria. P. Carr Family, Hillisborough, NC

The Gershwins enjoyed a wonderful time here. We laughed, talked, cried and took a piece of Stella with us. Thank you for supplying such a wonderful place for u to stay this year. H. St. Clair and the Gershwin Girls, Greenville, NC and all over

October 2008

This place was wonderful! Thank you for your hospitality, the fresh flowers were a surprise and were just beautiful as we "welcomed home" our grandson from his deployment to Iraq with the US marines. God bless you Deloria for making this time so special for all of us. B & P Reynolds, Dallastown, PA

November 2008

Thank you for everything. We really enjoyed staying here. We had a great time with our son and his friends from Camp Lejeune. May God Bless you and your family. The Ginandt Family, Cincinnati, OH

Christmas 2008

After two days and 14 hours of driving through snow, sleet, and rain we were so excited when we drove up to this beautiful house. We knew it would be perfect when we saw the lighted Christmas tree outside and the beautiful wreath on the door. The gifts and special cards on the table were a welcomed surprise - the girls couldn't believe "Santa" had left a letter. When we rounded the bend and saw the cozy perfectly decorated living room, we knew we were in the right place. You have put so much into this blessed retreat and our family apreciated it all (comfortable beds, Christmas decorations, beautiful sheets, abundant towels, etc.) We had so much time to play games, do puzzles, read, and relax together-it is the way holidays were meant to be! I believe that the love your parents shared still blesses this house. The Whaley Family, Torrington, CN