Attend the fun at the University of Okoboji Winter Games!

Be sure to attend the 2010 University of Okoboji Winter Games, the fun starts on Friday January 29th and continues through Sunday January 31st.

Donna Muilenburg, Innkeeper at the Okoboji Country Inn Bed and Breakfast will be having another cooking school during the Winter Games Weekend.  Cooking with Donna will take place on Saturday January 30th from 10 am to 12 noon at Annabelle’s Tea Room which is located inside The Wash House gift shop in West Okoboji.  Donna will be showcasing recipes of comfort foods that everyone grew up with that are easy to make and serve.  This demonstration and tasting requires a pre-registration of $5 per person.  Call (712) 332-2358 or stop by the store to register, seating is limited.   See you at the Winter Games!!!

Fall has arrived in the Iowa Great Lakes region and the ladies at The Wash House gift shop in West Okoboji, Iowa are ready to celebrate it.  Stop by the gift shop this weekend and see all the wonderful fall colors, pumpkins, floral arrangements and candles they have to offer.  Donna has been busy making some tasty and easy dips and cheese balls to serve guests when you entertain this fall.  Be sure to plan a little trip to The Wash House and get inspired to bring some fall back into your home. 

Spencer, Iowa ~ The Clay County Fair has come a long way since it grew out of a series of homestead era fairs, agricultural society expositions, a state high-wheel-bicycle meet, a trotting association and community barbecues and picnics — held in Spencer in 1871, only five years after pioneer settlers drove their covered wagons from Wisconsin to Spencer Grove. For entertainment this first fair ran races with horses and riders from Sioux Rapids, Peterson and Emmetsburg. Today, the Clay County fair is the largest county fair in the state of Iowa. It has the second largest agricultural exposition in North America. Bringing in over 310,000 visitors a year, the Clay County Fair is one of the largest county fairs in the USA.

If you plan to visit the fair this year, you will want to consider lodging at one of these fine northwest Iowa bed and breakfast establishments — and, be sure to visit their booth in the Ag Building’s basement during the run of the fair:

The fishing at InnSpiratation has been hot. Fish for bass, perch, walleye at the pond at InnSpiration BB. Boat and advice are available for a fun time of fishing. InnSpiration BB is a great place to teach the kids to fish then they can swim at the pond.

Come join other talented quilters for a weekend for sharing and learning and having fun. Make a reservation to stay at Cabin Cove where you will enjoy the wonderful scenery on the Iowa River.

Iowa farm fresh strawberries!!!

We keep hearing and seeing the ads that Gettings Garden has strawberries ready, so Okoboji Country Inn Innkeeper, Donna Muilenburg wanted to share a great recipe utilizing this berry.

3 Layer Strawberry Dessert

1 cup flour                                                  1 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter                          4 T. cornstarch

1/3 cup chopped pecans                     pinch of salt

8oz. softened cream cheese               1 1/2 cup 7 Up (regular, not diet)

7/8 cup powdered sugar                     1/2 cup water

1 cup whipped topping                          1 (30z.) package wild strawberry jello

1 quart fresh strawberries (save a few for garnish)

Mix flour, butter and pecans and press into a 9×13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Don’t over bake.  Cool.  Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped topping.  Put this over crust.  Combine in pan, the sugar, cornstarch, salt, 7 Up, and water.  Cook until thickened.  Add 1 (3oz.) package wild strawberry jello.  Refrigerate until it gels.  Add about 1 quart fresh strawberries and spread over second layer.  Refrigerate and garnish with whipped topping and a strawberry on each piece when serving. 

This recipe is great because it gives you that fresh strawberry pie taste. 

Bird watching is amazing at InnSpiration B&B this spring. Viewing the birds from a distance is best so bring binoculars or your long zoom lens, as most birds will usually will fly away when you get too close.

The majority of NW Iowa birds begin their nesting season in early spring. Male and female birds form pairs for nesting on the basis of courtship behaviors. Many birds sing as a means both of declaring their territory to rival males and to solicit the attention of arriving females.

InnSpiration B&B is a birder’s paradise in the spring.  With the woods and water, songbirds, ducks, geese, and hawks are in abundance.

Linn Grove, Iowa  is located on the Inkpaduta Canoe Trail, a 131-mile-long historical river trail, so the spring birding activities can easily be enjoyed from a canoe. Take a timeless birdwatching trip on the Little Sioux River during your stay at InnSpriation B&B. Rooms available starting from $65.00.

InnSpiration Bed and Breakfast
1790 510th Street
Linn Grove, IA 51033
USA
Phone:     +1-712-296-4966
Cellular:     +1-712-390-4966

www.innspirationbandb.com

Plan on attending an Okoboji Summer Theatre performance this summer!

The Okoboji Summer Theatre has announced it’s 52nd season of nine amazing shows.

This year’s line up includes three wonderful musicals, several wacky comedies and also a few thought-filled pieces.  It is in the darkest and most uncertain times that we need theatre the most.  That is exactly what summer theatre is about, taking you in a world that can entertain, stimulate and provide a momentary escape.

The Okoboji Summer Theatre is located on Highway 71 between the resort communities of Okoboji and Spirit Lake in the Iowa Great Lakes region.  It is owned and operated by Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, for the purpose of providing commercial summer stock experience for their theatre students.  Stephens College has one of the leading undergraduate theatre programs in the country, and has been a member of the Iowa Great Lakes community for more than 50 years.

So for nine weeks during the Summer of 2009, come and escape with the professional company along with the talented ensemble of Stephens College students.

2009 Performance Schedule

A … My Name is Alice (Musical)
Conceived by Joan Micklin and Julianne Boyd
June 16-21

Almost, Maine (Contemporary Comedy) 
By John Cariani
June 23-28

Brighton Beach Memoirs (Family)
By Neil Simon
June 30-July 5

Nickel and Dimed (Adult Contemporary)
By Barbara Ehrenreich
July 7-12

Forever Plaid (Musical)  
Written by Stuart Ross
July 14-19

Hay Fever (Comedy)
By Noel Coward
July 21-26

George Washington Slept Here (Family Comedy)
July 28-Aug. 2
By Moss Hart & George S. Kaufman

Proof (Adult Contemporary)
By David Auburn
Aug. 4-9

INTO THE WOODS (Musical)
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Aug. 11-16

For ticket reservations please contact Okoboji Summer Theatre  Box 341, Spirit Lake, IA 51360.  The Box Office opens June 9, and reservations are accepted by telephone (712) 332-7773.

While in the Lakes area for the Okoboji Summer Theatre, book your accommodations at the Okoboji Country Inn.  It would be the ideal lodging choice for an overnight theatre adventure.  Visit them online for more information:  http://www.okobojicountryinn.com/rooms.html

Join us for a fun time at Annabelle’s Tea Room in West Okoboji, IA during this year’s University of Okoboji Winter Games.  On Saturday am January 24, 2009, Innkeeper Donna Muilenburg from the Okoboji Country Inn will be having a cooking demostration and tasting.  The cooking starts at 10 am and Donna will be featuring some recipes from the new cookbook,  just released from the Iowa Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Association.  The Discover Iowa: Cooking with Wine, Meats, and other Iowa Products author Amelia Painter will also be present to sign copies of this wonderful new cookbook and discuss recipes.  Annabelle’s Tea Room is located inside The Wash House gift shop right in the heart of all the Winter Games activities.  We still have a few rooms available at the Okoboji Country Inn during the Winter Games.  Click on www.okobojicountryinn.com to make your reservation or call (712) 332-2358 for more information.

Okoboji Bed and Breakfast News:

Join the ladies at The Wash House and get in a festive mood at their annual Holiday Open House. The Wash House gift shop invites you to their 30th annual Holiday Open House Friday and Saturday December 5th and 6th. 

The Wash House first opened their doors in July 1978 in the renovated old wash house on Earl and Donna Muilenburg’s family farm near Hartley, IA.  There has been many changes over the last 30 years, one being a location change to the Iowa Great Lakes area.  The final relocation came in 1998 when the 1908 Milford Hospital was moved and remodeled into three floors of the gift shop and the delightful Annabelle’s Tea Room added to the business.  The gift shop has kept the unique look through the many changes over the years, and features one of a kind florals designed in house as well as home decor.  Each display in the store gives suggestions for customers to use in their own homes or for gift giving. 

Also featured at the Holiday Open House on Saturday December 6th from 2-4pm, will be local writer Amelia Painter showcasing and signing copies of her latest book, “Discover Iowa: Cooking with Iowa Wines, Meats and other Iowa Products”.  This new cookbook takes readers on a culinary journey across every region in Iowa.  Also featured in the new cookbook is The Wash House owner Donna Muilenburg, who now has added innkeeper to her job title with the opening of the Okoboji Country Inn  in the spring of 2008. The bed and breakfast is a historic 1870’s farmhouse and is located on the property adjacent to the gift shop.  Donna included several recipes to this new cookbook and many were favorites of Annabelle’s Tea Room luncheon guests over the years.  She will be serving some samples of her recipes during the Holiday Open House and you won’t want to miss out. 

More information about The Wash House (1712 Terrace Park Blvd, West Okoboji, IA) can be found at http://www.okobojicountryinn.com or call (712) 332-2358.