Find Out What Makes Our Coffee Incredibly Delicious…

Our Philosophy at Pond Mountain Inn

One of the defining characteristics of an excellent bed & breakfast is the emphasis on serving the finest cup of coffee available. We serve a non-flavored Viennese Roast in the Main House during breakfast, which is the lightest of T.M. Ward’s Espresso roasts – it’s unusually smooth, delicately strong, with a nice velvety finish. And, to really make our morning coffee interesting we add French Roast, a blend of Arabica beans, which is a very dark roast with smoky overtones. This hybrid recipe brews an outstanding cup of coffee! They’re both delicious and we hope that you enjoy them too!

History – T.M. Ward Coffee

One of the oldest institutions in Newark, New Jersey is the T.M. Ward Coffee Company; originally opened by Timothy Ward in 1869.  Unlike many businesses over its 140 years of continuous existence, Ward’s has remained a locally-based, family-run company that embraces its employees.

Our Morning Brewing Process

It all begins with using exceptional filtered water – Pond Mountain Inn’s water is delivered from a 360 foot deep artesian well. By the time the coffee reaches your coffee mug, our water has been filtered twice and has passed through ultraviolet technology.

Our recipe for making great coffee begins with controlling the temperature of the water when it comes in contact with the coffee, which highlights the characteristics of our great coffee – we use both a drip coffee maker and percolator, both brew an outstanding cup of coffee!

The Coffee

We begin with great coffee. We found T.M. Ward, an exceptional quality roaster that sells freshly roasted beans. We experimented with quarter of a pound of a many different varieties of coffee and selected a non-flavored Viennese Roast as our signature coffee. We actually took the beans out of the bag, smelled them, and smelled the coffee again after we ground them. Even if you like your coffee with milk or cream, we tried a few sips without anything added and tasted it. We considered what we tasted and the aroma as we would with a fine glass of wine. We wanted to make sure that we provide the best coffee possible and I believe we were successful! Our guests will ultimately make the final determination.

We use a standardized scoop of coffee. Most experts say two tablespoons of ground coffee per 8-ounce cup, but coffees differ and tastes differ, but we found that this works for us at the inn. Occasionally, we make more coffee than we can use immediately, we always pour the remaining coffee into a thermos or carafe to keep it warm. We never let coffee sit on a burner or warming device, as this will kill the taste.

We want your morning coffee to be the best cup of coffee that you’ve ever had and we’ll keep trying to exceed your expectation; we even warm your coffee mug before pouring your first cup of coffee! See you in the morning….

Interesting Backstory

What has been most responsible for putting T.M. Ward on the map has to be its Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito “Bold Justice Blend”, a rich blend of Columbian, Java and New Guinea, with a bit of espresso. This was the longtime client’s favorite cup, and Ward’s pushed the product in support of Alito’s 2005-06 run through Senate confirmation. Bold Justice Blend became all the rage amongst the journalist and internet crowds, and to this day, the Trenton native seems to have successfully branded his own personal way of motivating Jersey’s masses.

Click here for T.M Ward Coffee of Chatham, New Jersey

A Treasured Memory at Pond Mountain Inn…

One of the more memorable things that happened last year was this drawing. What makes the drawing most impressive is that it was drawn by one of our guest’s ten-year daughter. The backstory is that Erin had received $20.00 from her grandfather to spend on vacation as she wished and decided to purchase one of our Pond Mountain Inn mugs, which was nearly the same price. I suggested a barter of sorts where I would give Erin one of our mugs in exchange for a drawing of our property – she immediately agreed then deliberated and chose to draw the Main House and Loft Apartment. A day or two later I had a beautiful drawing of our property and Erin had one of our mugs. The day after her family left we had the drawing framed and placed in the Loft. Another treasured memory….

Yankee Ingenuity and Your L.L. Bean Boots

I purchased my first and only pair of L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Shoes in 1980 – I removed the mud for this photograph. I had them resoled a few years back and replaced the laces maybe three times. They have served me well for thirty-seven years! But alas, I’ve stumbled upon a new alternative use…. The Vermont Wine Carrier – excellent for transporting both red and white! Brought to you by your friends at Pond Mountain Inn. 

Step Back in Time with Vermont’s Enchanted Covered Bridges

Sunday drives are magical especially in Vermont whether you’re destination-oriented or just like to tour the rolling hills alongside a meandering river. Sunday was magnificent, the only thing missing was a wicker picnic basket filled with essential luxuries and a crisp-cold bottle of Sancerre. Kay and I along with our “adopted parents, Hoa & Orland, of Manchester” were determined to see a few of the southern Vermont Covered Bridges we had yet to visit. Following the Battenkill for about ten minutes a distant view of the day’s first covered bridge became clearer! No matter how many times you’ve seen a covered bridge each is met with a new sense of exhilaration. The feeling is indescribable – set back in time one can almost feel the presence of those that traveled before us likely by horse across this timbered structured.

West Arlington Bridge, Built in 1852 is arguably the most beloved and most photographed in the state.

This is the quintessential Vermont photograph that everyone should personally experience… What makes this photograph even more treasured is that it was taken in front of Norman Rockwell’s home!

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) lived in this house in Arlington, Vermont from 1943-1953.

Sunderland is where we found the Chiselville Covered Bridge, named for the fine quality chisels and edge tools manufactured nearby. The bridge spans the Roaring Branch Brook and was built in 1870.

Orland and I traversed the steep riverside bank to gain a unique perspective from below.

A brief history… Vermont is rightfully famous for its covered bridges – more than one hundred span the state (Pond Mountain Inn has a complete listing). A covered bridge was built for necessity to protect their wooden structures, extend their lifespan, and protect Vermonters and perhaps their animals from the elements. Vermont Covered Bridges are architecturally very pleasing, fun to experience and remain an important part of Vermont’s legacy.

We will soon publish the first of our Self-Guided Tours, which will include more covered bridges.

Soups On… Try Kay’s Spinach and Chorizo Soup

The final vestiges of snow left last week with the warm onset of spring, but the unrelenting cold, dreary rainy days are back this week letting us know winter is not quite giving way – it’s now Mud Season in Vermont! Many of the dirt roads are largely impassable with mogul-like frost heaves and deep muddy ruts. A delightful time of year with many of the restaurants closed until early May. That said, Kay is undaunted, we have a fire in the fireplace, soup on the stove and a wool blanket nearby. Kay’s Spinach & Chorizo Soup is a hearty winter soup packed with nutrition, but with enough chorizo to bring out the robust flavor. It’s easy to make and incredibly delicious – try it for yourself!

 

Kay’s Spinach & Chorizo Soup Recipe

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Servings: 6

Ingredients

• chorizo sausages
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 medium potatoes
• ½ cup lentils
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 4 cups chicken / vegetable stock
• 1 pinch turmeric
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper

Directions

1. Dice the onion, carrot, celery and finely chop the garlic.
2. Wash the spinach.
3. Peel and dice the potatoes.
4. Thickly slice the sausage.
5. Heat the oil and cook the onion, carrot, celery and sausage over a low heat for about 20 minutes until soft.
6. Stir in the garlic, potatoes and lentils cook for a further 10 minutes.
7. Add chicken / vegetable stock and let simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add the spinach leaves, turn off heat, cover with lid and let sit for 2-3 minutes to wilt spinach leaves. (All vegetables should be soft before adding spinach.)
9. Season to taste

Another Delicious Pond Mountain Inn Soup Recipe.  

Why does this Hummingbird Stand on John’s Hand – for 15 Minutes!

Sitting comfortably in our Adirondack chairs John and I were enjoying another great Vermont summer evening overlooking Northeast Mountain as the Hummingbirds continued to feed. As one whizzed by our heads it slammed directly into the picture window behind us! We instinctively leapt from our chairs only to find this poor bird on the ground with no visible signs of life. John, one of our frequent guests and a wonderful photographer picked up our tiny new friend and held it in his hand. John was eager to get his camera, but he had the bird, so I grabbed my phone and began taking pictures. As I continued photographing, our friend gradually regained his composure, righted himself and kept us company for fifteen minutes. He was clearly enjoying himself and was in no hurry to leave us, but it was time to delicately return him to the feeder. He stepped from John’s hand and perched himself comfortably and within a few moments he was quickly tormented by his buddies – they are very territorial and seek control of the feeder. He grabbed a quick drink and returned home…. This goes on from dawn to dusk and is always fascinating to watch. We look forward to their return to Pond Mountain Inn early next month!

Incredible Mountain Views While Snowshoeing in Vermont

The serenity and peacefulness of snowshoeing is second to the natural beauty always on display in every small town in Vermont. As we walked through the woods we occasionally stopped to examine each animal footprint – we saw deer tracks, fox and where a bird of prey may have found a late afternoon snack. As we approached the top of the ridge a large open field came into view with a distant tree line and the magnificent Taconic Mountain Range further off in the distance. A spectacular day spent with nature only thirty minutes from Pond Mountain Inn.