After all,  Egg Harbor hosts the famous Door County Triathlon… and we have our own baseball team!

DC Triathlon

Egg Harbor Indians...2009 Champs!

Egg Harbor is also the home of Door County’s largest festival… Pumpkin Patch!

Egg Harbor's Pumpkin Patch Festival

Egg Harbor has great boutiques and restaurants…

Egg Harbor is a great place for couples…

for families…

and Egg Harbor has it’s very own girls getaway weekend in May…

Egg Harbor boasts two beaches, a beautiul marina, the best grocery store in Door County, cherry orchards and farms…

Egg Harbor is well known for it’s love of music too…

Egg Harbor's Peg Egan Pavillion

And don’t forget, we Egg Harborites LOVE a Parade!!!

Egg Harbor's New Years Day Parade

Egg Harbor's July 4th Parade

But most of all, it is the people who live here that make Egg Harbor truly the Coolest Small Town in America!

Yes, Egg Harbor is definitely a pretty cool small town…

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO…

Nice job Chelsea… you’ll always have our vote!!

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2010 WINTER FESTIVAL EVENT SCHEDULE

LARGE HEATED TENT WILL BE BACK AT CLARK PARK AT WATERFRONT IN FISH CREEK

FRIDAY, FEB. 5TH

CARVING OF ICE SCULPTURES AT FISH CREEK BUSINESSES: ORCHARD COUNTRY WINERY& MARKET, BAYLAKE BANK, WHITE GULL INN, FOUNDERS SQUARE, ON DECK CLOTHING CO.,BLUE HORSE BISTRO, FRED & CO., HOMESTEAD SUITES, APPLECREEK RESORT, TOP OF THE HILL SHOPS, MAIN TENT
6:30PM – 10PM “ROCK & ROLL ART NIGHT” AT HANDS ON ART STUDIO – 21 OR OLDER – BIG MOUTH TRIO.

SATURDAY, FEB. 6TH

7AM – 11AM “GREAT AMERICAN PANCAKE SHOW” GIBRALTAR FIRE STATION
9AM – 10AM “KIDS KITE MAKING” AT YMCA
10AM – 4PM “KITES OVER THE BAY” ON THE ICE IN THE HARBOR
10AM – 5PM “WINTER WINE & CHERRY FEST” ORCHARD COUNTY WINERY
10:30AM “WINTER FESTIVAL PARADE“ – MAIN STREET
11AM – 3PM “SOUP!” HOMEMADE SOUP & BOWLS AT PENINSULA ART SCHOOL
11AM – 5PM ALL DAY FOOD – BRATS, HOT DOGS, PORK SANDWICHS, CHILI, BEER, WINE, SODA, HOT CHOCLATE
11AM – 5PM ALL DAY GAMES – MINNOW RACES, ICE BOWLING, TOILET SEAT TOSS, BIKE TOSS, CRAZY GOLF, SNOW SHOE DANCE, FISH POND, FOOTBALL TOSS, VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT, RAFFLES, MUSIC.
11:30AM “KIDS TREASURE HUNT” TOP OF THE HILL SHOPS
11:30AM – 3:30PM– FREE DOOR COUNTY TROLLEY RIDES WITH STOPS AT ORCHARD COUNTRY WINERY & MARKET, FOUNDERS SQUARE, MAIN TENT, BEACH, TOP OF THE HILL SHOPS, PENINSULA ART SCHOOL.
3PM -5PM “CHILI COOK-OFF” IN MAIN TENT
5:30PM – 8PM “ CANDLELIGHT SKI” IN PENINSULA STATE PARK
7PM – 9PM “DOOR COUNTY IDOL” AT DOOR COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM
9PM “ROCK & ROLL SNOW DANCE” WITH” BIG MOUTH” AT ALEXANDERS

SUNDAY, FEB. 7TH

Businesses open for shopping and dinning
10:10 AM – FISH CREEK’S 1ST ANNUAL FRUIT LOOP – 1/2 MILE COSTUMED WINTER FUN RUN – STARTS AT MAIN TENT – FRUIT LOOP BREAKFAST
2010 SUPER BOWL

Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery will also be in on the fun with sleigh rides, wine glass painting and the famous Cherry Pit Spit.  I always wanted to participate but the local papers always have an unflattering photo of someone spitting a pit and it isn’t pretty.

February 6, 2010 Winter Wine & Cherry Fest at Lautenbachs Orchard Country Winery Saturday 10-5 Cure the winter blues with live music 1-4pm, free product tastings, door prizes, cherry pit spit competition 1:30pm, cherry brats, hot soup and baked goods, horse-drawn sleigh rides, wine glass painting…and more! Fun for all!

We had an excellent time in New Orleans… I absolutely loved it and the food was fantastic as well.  The crowd was crazy because of the Saints game so Bourbon Street was nuts.  Of course we spent some time at the Super Dome people watching and listening to the band… okay, so we were drinking beer too.  Drinking  on the streets in New Orleans is encouraged!  Kehe Specialty Foods treated us to a Gala at the Mardi Gras Museum.  We traveled to the Gala in our own parade riding on actual Mardi Gras floats and throwing beads.  Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE a parade.   I had the most delicious barbecue  shrimp dinner one night,it was the best meal I ever ate.  I tried to recreate it and it turned out pretty good.  Heavy on butter, but super good.  The dish is nothing like the barbecue shrimp I have made in the past, the sauce was mostly butter, Worcestershire and spices.  When I ate it in the restaurant, I really had no idea was was in the delicious sauce was.  They served bread on the side to sop up every drop.  It wasn’t  a hot (as in spicey) dish either, most of the Cajun or Creole food we ate really wasn’t hot which surprised me.  Anyway, we had an amazing time and I would love to head back there again sometime.

We have been taking reservations for 2010… Don’t forget in May, we offer our “Stay two nights, get the third night free!” special.  On Memorial Day, the special means guests get the fourth day free.  We are looking forward to another great year at Egg Harbor Lodge.  We always look forward to opening May 1.  We love seeing  all of our “regulars” and we also look forward to meeting new guests each year.  Reservations are coming nicely, so reserve early to get your preferred dates and unit type.   Think Spring!

family sleigh ride

I was looking up photos of Egg Harbor on bing.com and found a picture of my family.  Door County Lighthouse Inn located in Egg Harbor had this picture of none other than the Sawyer family circa 1992.  John Mayberry who lives in West Jacksonport and owns the sleigh was looking for a couple of families with a bunch of kids to do a photo shoot for advertising.  I think at the time it was for the White Gull Inn.  Mark’s sister at the time had four kids and Mark and I also had four kids, so we fit the bill for a couple of families with a ton of children.  It had just snowed and other than me losing an earring in the snow (John was nice enough to let me look for it- to no avail), we had a really fun time and the kids loved it.  I can’t believe the picture is still in circulation.  Yes, that’s me with the brown coat and pink scarf holding baby Joe.  Come to think of it, I have a brown coat I wear with a pink scarf now…

The Landmark in Egg Harbor is offering specials for the weekend (including Karaoke!) as are other lodging places and restaurants.  Mike’s Port Pub and Innlet Motel in Jacksonport is offering a nice special which includes lodging, dinner and drinks on New Years Eve for $175.00 (and no driving!).  Jacksonsport is also serving up a New Years Day breakfast at the fire station before the famous Polar Bear Plunge at noon.  Our friend, JR Jarosh of Jacksonport is the founder and along with his family, has turned the “plunge”  into an annual event that attracts thousands of people each year either as participants or spectators.  It really is a fun Door County event that shouldn’t be missed.  Trust me… we have done the plunge as well as witnessed it and there really is no equal. If you have never done the plunge, it is an invigorating way to start the year… especially after the crazy year we had this past year.

At 1:00 in Egg Harbor, is the Annual New Year’s Day Parade.  I  believe it is the only parade in Wisconsin on New Year’s Day.  It is a fun, quirky parade that is pretty much thrown together in the morning.  We (meaning my family) are in it every year… usually with the same float.  We aren’t original, but we are consistent. Here we are last year in our hot tub float…yes, there is really water in the cherry pallet we are riding in.

Sawyer chicks

Almost all the boutiques and restaurants are open in Egg Harbor for post-holiday sales.  After the parade,  we head to Mojo Rosa’s where Kimmy has complementary hors d’ oeuvres and music.  Our friend and neighbor, Bob Erickson (Door County Realty) celebrates his birthday on January 1 and we help him celebrate at Mojo’s each year.  The day isn’t complete without checking out Egg Harbor’s other haunts, John Henry’s, Casey’s and Shipwrecked.  PS… the new C & C in Fish Creek has reopened under the new name Cooper’s Corner (same owners as Shipwrecked and Peninsula Winery).  More on that later after I scope it out.

My niece Jennifer will turn 21 on New Year’s Day as well. Happy Birthday Jen!

Have a safe and Happy New Year everyone and we look forward to a fantastic 2010 in  beautiful Door County!

Anyway, I loved the storm.  I made a frittata for breakfast and  a big kettle of homemade chicken noodle soup for supper… that and a fire in the fireplace, what else can one ask for?  Winter is here… let’s enjoy it!

2003

• Frontgate’s Portable DVD Player
• Ralph Lauren Black Label Cashmere Slim Fit Crewneck Sweater
• Melted Chocolate Cake Batter
• Greenberg Smoked Turkeys
• Barefoot Dreams Robes, Adult throws
• Cliff and Buster Macaroons
• The Gingerbread Man by Philosophy
• Pure Simplicity Pumpkin Purifying Mask
• Davies Gates Allspice Cinnamon Powder Sugar Soak
• O, The Oprah Magazine
• MAC Cosmetic Carrying Case
• Nike Dri-FIT Workout Outfit
• FoodSaver Vac 800 by Tilia, Inc.
• Cambio Jeans
• BlackBerry Wireless E-mail Device
• Frederic Fekkai Crème Luxeuse, Apple Cider Clean
• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Ugg Classic Short Boots
• Judith Ripka Two Necklace
• Philip Stein Teslar Watch
• Sony DCR-DVD200 Handycam
• The Neiman Marcus Cookbook^[2]

We each carried out 2 huge bags of stuff out to dozens of waiting Yellow Cabs.  We took the goods back to our hotel, packed them into our car and headed back to Door County.  On the way home we called everyone we knew and told them the news.  It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life.

When the show aired the during the week of Thanksgiving,  Mark and I headed to my parents house to watch it.  We had cocktails  and hors  d’ oeuvres and watched the show.  My mom was so excited she cried.  They showed Nellie and I numerous times and Nellie even made the Favorite Things Show commercial.  My mom dressed up that day, one of the last days she did so.  She died a couple months later.

Of course there were the critics… David Letterman did a funny skit about the show as did other comedians.  Some thought the show was materialistic and the money should have gone to needier people. Oprah told us she felt she wanted to give to just regular people… most of us mothers who probably on a day to day basis were giving to their family each and every day.  Yeah, I’ll go with that.

I invited Oprah to stay at Egg Harbor Lodge as my guest… she hasn’t responded yet.  Oprah, the invitation still stands…

Christmastime honor system

So, have heart people, there are still folks that believe that people are honest… at Christmastime, that seems fitting.

We drove around a bit and then got out.  Not only were the trees nice, they were a bargain.  All the trees were 25 bucks… even the Blue Spruce which is my favorite.    We found the perfect tree…

Jerry (Helen) who does our gardening at Egg Harbor Lodge made my hat.  She took the original to the Door County Fair and won the Grand Champion.  She then took it to the Wisconsin State Fair and won Grand Champion there as well.  Lucky for the girls and me because Jerry is making a hat for all of us.  They are super cute and the detail is amazing.  Mine of course is pink.

Anyway, we had a great day… it even snowed.  Today, we are going to decorate the tree and our house.  I bought some Irish Creme for the occasion, that and some Christmas music will make for a nice celebration.

Don’t forget, we have Egg Harbor Lodge Gift Certificates which make a really nice gift. Paired with a Door County Gift Certificate, it makes the perfect gift for the Door County lover on your Christmas list.

Door County Gift Certificates are available at the  Door County Visitor Bureau 920.743.4456 and are redeemable at most Door County businesses.

Enjoy the season, it comes and goes so quickly… soon enough we will be making plans for the annual Egg Harbor New Years Day Parade!  Stay tuned…

Here is the recipe…

Ingredients:

1 gallon apple cider (just the regular grocery store stuff)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

2 pieces stick cinnamon

1 orange

Directions:

Cut the orange in half, slice one half into rounds.  Pour the cider into the bottom of a percolator and add the rest of the ingredients to the basket.  Squeeze the other half of the orange into the basket and throw the rind in as well.  Perk.

The cider may be made on the stove, just put the spices in a tea ball or cheese cloth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour.  Put in a coffee make with a glass pot to keep warm.

For those of us not in the Black Friday state of mind, Egg Harbor is the perfect place to be.  No lines or huge crowds, no malls, just quaint boutiques, nice restaurants and plenty of things for the children to do… Breakfast with Santa, Elf Hunt , caroling and best of all, a tree lighting.  There really isn’t a nicer place to be than Door County during the holidays.

WisconsinCheeseMasters.Com

Our friends Katie Harding and her husband Jim Pionkoski have a new business… WisconsinCheeseMasters.Com.  Katie, Jim and their daughter Casey, are guests of ours at Egg Harbor Lodge.  After over a year of research they have started a new, super cool business selling Wisconsin Cheese.  Their new venture sells only Artisan, Farmstead-Made and Master Cheeses- many of which have won World Championships and have been chosen the “Best Cheese in America”.  Many of these cheeses are  hard to find (even in gourmet stores)  in the state of Wisconsin and particularly hard to find outside our state.

I am a good cook, and the SarVecchio they sell truly tastes as good or better than a Parmigiano-Reggiano.  WisconsinCheeseMasters.Com has assembled collections of various cheese selections which would be perfect for a gift for Christmas for your family, friends or employees. And this isn’t just your ordinary cheese… this is  a perfect array of first class cheese assembled in a reusable wooden box.  Anyone who places an order and uses the code EGLodge will receive a 10% discount!

Best of Luck Katie, Jim and Casey… I’m sure this will be a huge success!

Pan Seared Venison Loin

3-4 pound venison loin

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Dry Rub (you can use any type of rub you have on hand i.e Emeril’s etc.)  Bruce uses his own concoction

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground  black pepper

Clean venison loin of its silver skin.  Brush with olive oil and rub with dry rub, kosher salt and pepper.  Let meat sit, covered in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours is desired…  Preheat heavy saute’ pan (I used my cast iron skillet) until very hot.  Sear all sides of loin until seared well.  Pull the loin from the pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  Place loin back in the pan and roast in a 375 degree oven until medium rare (I know this sounds weird for venison to be done medium rare, but trust me, it’s delish and important for this recipe).

Shiitake Mushroom and Chardonnay Sauce

2 cups shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced thin

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup chardonnay

1 cup veal or beef demi-glace (it is like the Better than Bouillon… add water to it to make a cup.  The directions are on the package.  If you can’t find it just use 1 tsp. Beef Better than Bouillon and 8 oz. of water and mix together).

1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the meat on a platter and cover with foil, then in the same pan saute’ the mushrooms in the oil over medium high heat until tender.  Add the wine, demi-glace and cream and reduce until nice and creamy.

I usually slice the meat and pour the sauce over as opposed to keeping the loin whole because when people see the meat is medium rare they turn up their noses.  Serves 6-8.  I usually double this.

Have a safe hunting season and if you are a walker, don’t forget your blaze orange.  I cut a blaze orange cap and put it around our dog, Bailey’s neck, just to keep her safe.

Two friends... Kayla & Cami

Our prayers go out to Kayla Wilke and her family. Kayla, a junior at UW-Stevens Point, fell thirty-four feet off a roof of an apartment building in Steven Point last Friday night. She was airlifted to Marshfield and is in critical condition.  Kayla has been making small improvements each day which is very encouraging. Kayla is the sister of Kirk Wilke, who is our daughter Emilie’s boyfriend.  We will keep Kayla, her twin sister Kendra, brother Kyle and family, Kirk, their parents Cheryl and Randy and all their family in our prayers.

We are looking forward to a safe and fun hunting season.  Good Luck to all our fellow Door County hunters… note to all you people who think hunting is not a good thing.  My family has hit 7, yes 7 deer with our cars.  Luckily, no one was seriously injured.   The Department of Natural Resources are in charge of the hunt in order to “harvest” deer so they don’t starve or cross the path of too many cars.  So basically, it is a good thing even though it may seem otherwise.

People (mostly guys) brought desserts, cherry bounce and even pickled eggs… my favorite.   It was a lot of fun and I think the stew turned out pretty good.  This week I will plan on menus for the nine day hunt.  I have a little kitchen set up in our barn, the boys sleep out there (that’s where I draw the line) and we eat out there and most nights other hunters come by to share stories or have a bite to eat.  All of our kids are usually here and it is really nice family time for us.  Hunting has been a really great way for me to spend time with my boys.

Don’t forget, the Landmark Resort has their Comedy Club night (the second Thursday of the month)  buffet and show for just 20.99 per person tomorrow night.  I would love to go (it is a lot of fun) but I am making my venison stew for our annual pre-hunting bash Friday night.  I’ll have to video the party… then again, maybe not.

I played tourist a couple of weeks ago.  My friend Kelly, a close friend I have known since I was 11 years old, stayed at Egg Harbor Lodge along with her parents.  One of the days they were here, we took a ride up to Northport using most of the back roads.  We stopped at Bayside and the Oilerie in Fish Creek with our final stop being at Orchard Country Winery where we did a little wine tasting.

Playing tourist...

Kelly and her husband Tom were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.  We had a blast…I hope they are able to come next year too.

Speaking of anniversaries, Mark and I celebrated our 30th on Tuesday.  We decided to go to Green Bay for the night.  We ended up staying at the Radisson at the Oneida Bingo and Casino.  Not much of a gambler, it took me awhile to figure out the slots.  You know the arm that you pull… well it doesn’t pull (you press a button instead)  and did you also know videoing is not allowed?  Apparently, I am the only one who didn’t know that.  Anyway, I got in a bit of trouble.  I want to post the video cause it’s kind of funny but I don’t want any more T-R-O-U-B-L-E.  Los Lonely Boys were playing there that night so we got to see them in concert as well.  Oh well, I’ll take my chances… here’s the video…

Right after I stopped at the craps table is when I got busted with “SECURITY”!  There was no way I was letting them have my FLIP however.  After that, the security guards were very attentive to me and I don’t think it was because they liked my sweater.

Today is our last day open until May 1, 2010.   I want to send out a sincere thank you to all of our guests for staying with us this year and every year.  We had a really great season and we look forward to  next year and many more years.   We start taking reservations in January for next year.  Stay tuned for winter in Door County through my blog… winter isn’t super exciting but it is really beautiful… even in November.  We have our annual Deer Hunters Venison Stew in a couple of weeks in anticipation of the deer hunt which is the one of our absolute favorite times of year.

Don’t forget Egg Harbor’s Holly Days is November 27 & 28… more on that later!

This is my newest item on my Door County must do list.  You haven’t experienced the real Door County unless you have seen it by air.  I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long.  Give them a call at 920.493.2729 you will be glad you did!

i

Pretty cool…  I wish I would have worn a turtleneck though.