Scranton Seahorse Inn

Boston – A Quick Trip From Madison

We get a lot of travelers from various parts of the country as well as out of the country. I’m often asked about good places to visit that are close to Scranton Seahorse Inn and to Madison, Connecticut. The good news for us in Madison is our close proximity to some of the greatest cities in the country. We don’t have to travel to far to experience great history, art, sports, culture and food.

I asked our friend Dylan Moszkowitz if he would guest write a few blog entries for us. Over the next few days I’ll share some great info he’s put together on Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

PART 1 of 3

Located along Connecticut’s Long Island Shore in New Haven County lies the quintessential New England town of Madison, CT. Previously known as a sleeper town with many family-owned shops and restaurants, the town has grown to nearly 20,000 people. Because of its centralized location, it is also quite easy to hop in your car and drive to many other nearby large northeastern cities.

Boston, MA

Two hours north of Madison lies the city of Boston, Massachusetts. One fact that the city is known for is that it is the birthplace of the American Revolution. Therefore, there are a plentiful amount of things to do in the area. One site to visit while exploring Boston is Faneuil Hall. Built in 1742 as a gift from Boston’s wealthiest merchant Peter Faneuil, this historic landmark now attracts close to 20 million people annually. The site is also home to many different shops and restaurants.

Another area of interest in Boston is the replica of the Cheers bar from the television show. If you are looking for the original Cheers bar, it is located off of Beacon Street by Boston Common near the Arlington T stop.

Historic Boston

Additionally, one tradition to do in Boston is to walk the Freedom Trail. Inaugurated in 1951, this walking tour showcases visual representations of the American Revolution. On the tour, you will see various historical sites in Boston, such as the Central Burying Ground and the Massachusetts State House.

If you are more of an active person, the Freedom Trail also has a 5k running tour. One of the key differences between the running tour and the walking tour of the trail is that the running tour takes you through ALL of the 16 famous landmarks, which is about 3 miles. I did the running tour twice and highly recommend it. It was my favorite leisure activity while I lived in Boston. As a side note, do not forget to bring a jacket with you. Although it maybe warm on land, the boat ride from Charlestown back to Boston Harbor carries some strong, cold winds. I learned that the hard way.

Besides the plentiful amount of history surrounding you, the city is also considered the “central hub” of American higher education. Many colleges are located in the area, such as Boston University(Go Terriers!), Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in cross-town city of Cambridge.

In addition, Boston is also considered a city that has some of the most sports-passionate people you will ever meet. The city is home to the Celtics(basketball), Bruins(hockey), Red Sox(baseball), and the New England Patriots(football).

Friday Night – Date Night – April 20th

TGIF!

We have a great Friday night package for you. So if you haven’t made plans make them now. For $225 enjoy an overnight stay with us at the Scranton Seahorse Inn and a 4 course meal at Chef Paul Barron’s The Table.

This weeks menu includes scallops and beef tenderloin with other delicious flavors of spring like only Chef Paul can prepare. The best part about your dining experience at The Tale is you get to watch it all happen in his open kitchen. Dinner is at 5:30 or 8:00pm. BYOB.

Menu for Friday April 20th.

Asparagus
champagne sabayon

Seared Scallops
celeriac – green apple – avocado

Roasted Beef Tenderloin
watercress – creamer potatoes

Caramelized Banana Ricotta Tart

Call us at 203.245.0550 to book your TGIF package today.

Peanut Butter Cookies – Gluten Free

Gluten Free Cookies I TRY to keep our cookie jar full and I have a few go to recipes that I use to make sure our guests with cookie cravings in the middle of the night have somewhere to go. When I know I have a gluten free guest checking in to the Scranton Seahorse Inn my peanut butter cookie recipe the one I use. It is so ridiculously simple but so nutty and delicious. They are so satisfying at midnight with a cup of coffee or tea too.

This recipe makes 24 cookies. It’s 1 of everything so it’s quite easy to double, triple or quadruple. Do what you gotta do!

Ingredients

1 cup good quality creamy peanut butter.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
Seasalt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350* and grease cookie sheets or line with parchment or silpat.
Beat together peanut butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add beaten egg and baking soda to peanut butter mixture and beat until well combined.
Roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball and place on cookie sheet.
Place dough balls one inch apart on cookie sheet. Do the thing we all do with a fork to our peanut butter cookies.
Sprinkle each with a little seasalt.
Bake until puffed and a golden pale, about 10 minutes.
Cool cookies on baking sheet about 2 minutes and then transfer with spatula to rack to cool.
May be kept in air tight container at room temperature for 5 days. If you have a wall safe – store them there.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Easy Baked Grapefruit Recipe

Every year the local high school band sells cases of citrus for their annual fund raiser. I gladly purchase a case of pink grapefruit because this recipe it’s one of my go to breakfast treats in winter. The guests love it. It’s very simple and I usually say if you like grapefruit you’ll love this – if you’re on the fence about grapefruit this recipe just may change your mind.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
A delicous, healthy &warm winter breakfast treat.
Halve the grapefruit and remove any visible seeds. Begin to segment the grapefruit by making cuts around the grapefruit and at each piece.
Drizzle a teaspoon of your favorite local honey in the center of each grapefruit half.
For each grapefruit mix together 2T brown sugar and 1/2t cinnamon until combined. Then evenly sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture on top of the grapefruit halves.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. For the last minute turn the broiler on high to finish off the caramelization.
For serving, place 1/2 maraschino cherry in the center of each grapefruit half. Serve warm.

NOTES:

If your grapefruit is super juicy lay a paper towel over the top of the grapefruit halve and blot up the excess juice. When you sprinkle the top with the sugar you don’t want it to dissolve before it browns in the oven.

You can skip the sugar / cinnamon step altogether and just heat the grapefruit with a drizzle of local honey as described. The heat brings out a wonder flavor all on its own.

Granola Recipe

Scranton Seahorse Inn

Healthy & Simple Granola Recipe

housemade granola

This recipe is a variation of my original granola recipe. I was asked by a guest to create one that used less sugar and syrup. After a few experiments this is the end result. My guest and I are very happy with this version. I like that the amount of sweeteners was reduced by more than 70% and the flavor was not only not compromised but improved. You can eliminate the 3T of brown sugar completely when mixing the dry goods. Make this once and you’ll stop buying boxed sweet cereal forever!

In a microwave or on a stovetop gently heat the following ingredients until the butter is melted.

¾ cup high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup of your favorite local honey or local maple syrup
2 T unsalted butter
½ t almond extract OR pure vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl mix together the following ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
½ cup Quinoa
¾ cup slivered almonds
¾ cup sliced almonds
¾ cup raw pepitas
½ cup shredded coconut
1T kosher salt
1t cinnamon
½t freshly ground nutmeg
3T brown sugar (optional)

Stir in the warmed olive oil mixture and oats mixture with a rubber spatula. Spread evenly on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper or silpat and cook in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until browned stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Once cooled and just before storing, stir granola with your hands, breaking up any of the mixture that may be stuck together. Stir in 1 cup of your favorite dried fruit. Pitted dates, cranberries, golden raisins are great. Store in an air tight container in a refridgerator for up to two weeks.

A few notes about ingredients and substitutions.

Great olive oil is key. We are lucky to have Shoreline Vine here in Madison and I use their Picual EVOO for this recipe because it’s naturally sweet and appropriately earthy for this recipe. I personally don’t recommend flavored or infused olive oil for your granola but this is about you and your taste buds. Experiment! If you don’t have a store like Shoreline Vine near you (they do ship by the way!) then find a high quality extra virgin olive oil in your supermarket
If you don’t like almonds substitute your favorite nuts in equal quantities.
When springtime arrives I used whatever fruit is local & fresh in place of dried fruits. If you use fresh fruit just wash and chop and add to your granola just before serving with yogurt or milk.
I serve this granola frequently and this is a fairly large batch. You can easily cut this recipe in half by dividing all ingredients by 2.

Get Your Gift Certificates Today!!!

GIFT CERTIFICATES

THE PERFECT GIFT!!

Still contemplating what to buy for that special someone on your list? Scranton Seahorse Inn gift certificates will make that special friend, parent, sibling, teacher, or colleague very happy! Gift certificates can be purchased in any denomination and never expire. Madison Connecticut and the shoreline is a perfect place to visit any time of year so your gift will be appreciated no matter when it’s used.

Here’s a bonus!! When you purchase a gift certificate of $200 or more you’ll receive an additional $25 gift certificate at no charge for yourself to use at another time. Or, you can give it as another gift or use it as a stocking stuffer or grab bag gift.

We are happy to email you your gift certificate(s) or we can put one in the mail on the same day with our brochure.

Don’t delay call today at 203.245.0550 and scratch another name (or two!) off your shopping list. Gift certificates will be sold until December 24th.

Hoping to see you at the inn soon!

Small Business Saturday

Don’t forget to support your favorite small businesses during the holiday shopping season. You always get great service and great products from these independently owned businesses. On Small Business Saturday you’ll get even bigger savings.

Gift certificates for the Scranton Seahorse Inn make great gifts. On Small Business Saturday gift certificates are 20% off so be sure to give us a call at 203.245.0550 or stop by.

Gift certificates purchased can be used for new reservations made in 2018 and cannot be combined with other discounts or used for existing reservations. Gift certificates are sold in $100 increments up to $2000.

Christmas at the Scranton Seahorse Inn

Yankee Magazine picks the best in New England

We are delighted to have Yankee Magazine select the Scranton Seahorse Inn as one of their top five bed and breakfasts in New England for the holidays. We go all out every holiday but nothing like we do at Christmas and we are happy our guests and Yankee readers think so too.

Click here to read about The Best Five B & B’s for the Holidays in Yankee’s November/December issue.

Click here to check our availability and please come and see us soon!

Mother’s Day Gift Certificate Sale

Mother's Day Gift Cards for the Scranton Seahorse Inn

Scranton Seahorse Inn Gift Cards-Perfect for Mother’s Day!!

Purchase your Mother’s Day gift certificates before Friday May 12th and we’ll email you a copy just in time for moms celebration. Take advantage of our discounts and make mom’s gift extra special. The more you spend the bigger the discount.

Purchase Discounts:

Save 10% ($15) on $150 gift certificate

Save 15% ($45) on $300 gift certificate

Save 20% ($100) on $500 gift certificate

Don’t forget all the moms in your life this Mother’s Day and call the inn at 203.245.0550 to purchase your gift certificate today.

The Scranton Seahorse Inn is in the center of the village in Madison, Connecticut and is within walking distance to beaches, shopping and several restaurants. Bike rentals and beach passes available in summer and fall.

Ask us about our Monday night dinners at the inn!

Scranton Seahorse Inn NCAA Tournament Challenge

NCAA Tournament Challenge. Join our group Seahorse Inn & Win

Time to enter the NCAA Tournament challenge win a free night at the Scranton Seahorse Inn!

It’s March (again) and that means we’re ready for some college basketball & the NCAA Tournament Challenge. We have created a group on EPSN’s NCAA Tournament Challenge page which makes winning so easy. We invite our friends and guests to drop your bracket(s) into our group. Whoever comes out on top wins a free night at the Scranton Seahorse Inn. Create as many brackets as you want in our group before the start of the tournament. We will close our group to any more entries just prior to the first games on March 16th. Remember, the more participants we have the more fun it is so please share this with your friends and coworkers.

Follow the link below to ESPN’s tourney challenge site and create your bracket with your best picks. It’s completely free to create a NCAA bracket and completely free to join the Seahorse Inn & Win group. In other words, you have nothing to lose! Thanks for playing and remember to tell your friends!

Click here to see our tournament group Seahorse Inn & Win. See you at the Final Four in Pheonix!