Elegant Simplicity Retreat

A friend of mine called John Reed has written a book called 'Elegant Simplicity'
On the back cover of the book says:
"In this important, challenging and timely book, John Reed mades reference to the millennial wisdom teachings of all traditions to indicate that the ego, by obscuring the need for inner change, is not only an obstacle to our survival in the future, but also to our happiness in the present. In face of the rising complexities of our modern world, the author reveals that only in inner and outer simplicity can true fulfillment be found. By demanding less, we should be ready to give more. Instead of using nature as a dispensable commodity, we can respect our natural environment, conserve its beauty and sense our affiliation to it. By freeing ourselves from the constraints of egoism, we discover that elegant simplicity is not only a fundamental expression of our true human nature, but also a possible solution to the mounting psychological, social, economic and ecological challenges that we face in the world today.

John Ree was born in Brazil in 1946 of Brazilian mother and British father. Educated in Britain and Canada, he has lived and worked at various occupations in France and the US. He presently splits his time between South West France and New England, where he and his French wife have an Art and Antiques business in Maine.

There will be a retreat held at the Kismet Inn called 'Elegant Simplicity'
The retreat will be:


'Elegant Simplicity Retreat"

Are the wisdom teachings relevant to our lives today? Do you believe that the egoistic habits that characterize life in society at present are, in fact, an obstacle to happiness and well-being?

If so, Shadi the innkeeper invites you to her beautiful home in Maine for a weekend of reflection with John Reed, author of 'Elegant Simplicity. Reflections on an Alternative Way of Being' (see attachment) to explore whether inner and outer simplicity can give you the fulfillment you seek.

Shadi with the help of her friend, Dominique, from France offer you a unique retreat of warm hospitality, organic cooking, yoga and informal discussions at the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast on these issues.

Dates: June 12,13, 2010

July: 17,18 2010

August: 8, 2010 - A Day Retreat

September: 11,12, 2010

October: 9, 10, 2010

November: 12,13, 2010

Cost: $995 per couple

$850 per person

Includes 2 nights stay, 2 dinners, 2 lunches, 2 breakfasts, 1 yoga session. A movie and A copy of the book 'Elegant Simplicity' by John Reed-

I sincerely hope to see some of you at the retreat.

Marigold Tea

Linda and John have been coming to the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast on regular basis for the past three years. Their daughter attends the boarding school called 'Hyde' who will be graduating in May. They come every year for a long weekend in April and October, they arrive on Thursday early evening and leave early morning Sunday. Every Thursday after their arrival they come down to the living room/tearoom area we sit for a good chat, catching up on our lives, families, friends, children and... Linda and I both have deep interest in being mindful to our surroundings so we also share books. She always takes couple of books from the inn's library to read while here. Last time she took a book of 'Hafize's Poems' which she loved because she knew only of Rumi not of Hafiz. Incidentally both are Mary Oliver's most like writers/poets... I love that.

Tonight I have Linda a book written by a friend of mine called 'Elegant Simplicity' which is about how destructive our egos can be. It is an easy read and a lot that one can learn from. The book should be in most bookstores in the U.S., soon. I am actually thinking of setting up a retreat for yoga and discussion of the book as well... what do you think? Would you come if I did?

Anyway, Linda is reading the book now. I made them marigold tea and offered them the raisin, coconut and rice cookies which I had made last week. They enjoyed everything and so did I. It is always a pleasure to have guest like Linda and John with whom we have become like family sharing many, many stories in our lives with each other. They will be back in May for their daughter's graduation, they will spend two night at the inn this time along with their 3 children and Linda's brother. The will also have dinner at the inn which we discussed the menu tonight. I will miss them so.

Candle Light Dinner

At Kismet Inn bed and breakfast there is no kind of regimentation. I tell my guests, breakfast is served at whatever time they wish to have breakfast .. I just need to know the night before to make sure the breakfast is fresh and warm. I don’t want to make breakfast and have it get cold or have the coffee sitting in a thermostat which incidentally I don’t have one. I make the coffee all fresh for each guest.

The same applies to dinner, guests have a choice of sitting in the dinning room, the tearoom at the table by the window or recently 2 couples chose to have dinner by the fire in a very informal setting. Both spent four hours eating dinner. On Saturday I had Katharine and Kellie from Yarmouth, Maine as my guests. It was Kellie’s birthday so Katharine had treated her to a nights stay, dinner, massage and Kismet Inn bed and breakfast’s signature exfoliation.

They arrived on Saturday around 2:30 .. stayed in Saffron Room where the bed, the armoire and table are custom made. Designed by me, Shadi Towfighi, the owner and made by Mark Donovan a brilliant craftsman from Bowdoinham, Maine. The bathroom is also custom made, designed my me again. It is deep soaking Japanese Style tub or Turkish Hamam style with transom window and radiant heat floor, a separate faucet for the tub and one for the shower. The one for the tub is really interesting, it is Kholer made, the water comes straight from the wall without a long faucet sticking out. It is quite elegant and simple.

They chose this room because of its deep soaking Japanese tub so they could soak in it then get the exfoliation. I showed them their room and explained thoroughly how the exfoliation would work. They came down shortly after for tea and raisin, coconut and rice cookies (I had made them the night before) the tea was Kismet Inn bed and breakfast signature tea brewed with cardamom. They loved both the tea and the cookies. They went up around 5 soaked in the tub for 45 minutes .. I made sure to take up pitcher of ice water to keep them well hydrated. I went up after 45 minutes scrubbed Kellie first, dead skin came rolling off in long inches, then I scrubbed Katharine. They both took showers, washed their hair, oiled their bodies, dressed and came down for dinner.

Actually, they wanted to open up their wine bottle in their room so I took the cheese which they were going to have with dinner up to their room. They decided to have dinner by the fire so I took the vegetables with the plates first. The vegetables were beets, parsnips, salsify steamed over slow heat for couple of hours. The third round was the salad – mixed greens, mustard greens, arugula from Fish Bowl Farm in Bowdoinham, the sauce I make myself, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1/2 fresh lemon squeezed, balsamic vinegar, toasted seeds such as flax, sesame and sunflower. The fourth round was the entree which was Jewel Rice with slivered pistachio, slivered almond, raisins, orange peel, julienne carrots, barberries, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, lots of saffron made with white basmati rice from India served with lamb shanks that had been cooking since 10 a.m. The fifth round, the last round was poached pears with blueberry sauce.

They sat chatting by the fireside while eating their dinner at a very leisurely, slow pace. They loved the fact that there was no push or any sense of rush. Kismet Inn bed and breakfast believes slow food, slow town, slow life style. I hope to serve each one of you.

Wild Mushroom Omelet

Here at the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast, I make sure to make different kinds of breakfast specially for guests with longer stay. I often get guests who stay for a week seeking a place to respite with an organic way of life. And that is what I offer at the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast, an all organic, local, natural place to stay.

One of my breakfasts is 'Wild Mushroom' Omelet. The mushrooms are from 'Oyster Creek Farm' in Damariscotta, Maine. They grow their own mushrooms, have a mix called 'Maine Wild Mix' There is seven different kinds of mushrooms in the mix which are oyster, Matsutake, Shiitake, Chanterelles, Black Trumpet, Boletes, Lobster and Morels. The eggs are from 'Sparrow Farm' all organic and free range eggs.

The Recipe for two people:
A handful of 'Oyster Creek Farm, Wild Maine Mix Mushrooms'
4 Eggs
Salt, Pepper, Masala Spice
1/4 of small onion
Ghee (Clarified Butter)

1. Soak the mushroom mix in boiled water an hour before making it.
2. Warm up a saucepan, put a big tablespoon of ghee in the saucepan.
3. Chop the onions add to the ghee let it brown.
4. Add the mushroom mix, let it saute for couple of minutes, add the salt, pepper and masala spice.
5. Add the water in which mushroom mix was soaked let it come to boil turn the heat down, let it cook for a few minutes.
6. Crack the eggs over the mushrooms, sprinkle some salt over the eggs, put a lid over the saucepan let the eggs cook for couple of minutes on low heat. I usually let the white cook completely and the yolk cook slightly.. be runny a little. I don't like the yolk well done. I think if I wanted it well done then I should have made boiled egg.

The taste is incredible, mushrooms are earthy with different textures, the eggs are great cracked over the mushrooms because you can taste the white and the yolk, the onions fried in ghee add the extra special aroma.
Warm up the saucepan, put one table

Enjoy it and if you have any question please email me at stay@kismetinnmaine.com

The information for Oyster Creek Farm:
Oyster Creek Farm
Damariscotta, Maine 04543
Telephone: 207-563-1076
Website: http://oystercreekmushroom.com/

Raisin Cookies

I love baking all of the goodies at the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast. I try to make cookies that are more on the uncommon side such as raisin cookies. I just want to have my guests taste something different. Here is the recipe for the raisin cookies.

2 cups unsalted organic butter
4 eggs
1&3/4 cups sugar
2 cups raisins
2&1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cardamom

All the ingredients I use are organic (non-industrialized organic) I get my ingredients through small coops, local venders. This way I can be quite sure nothing has been sitting on the shelf for a long time and it is really organic, no cheating goes into it.

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the cookie sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, butter, and sugar. Mix well until creamy.
3. Add raisins.
4. Gradually add flour and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
5. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter on the cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches in between each spoonful.
6. Place the cookie cheet in the center of the oven and bake 10-15 minutes, or until slightly golden.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool Gently lift the cookies off the cookie sheet.

These cookies are great with tea. That is how I serve them here at the Kismet Inn bed and breakfast and my guests without exception love them.

Spring is Here

This morning as I stepped out into the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast garden I noticed some flowers were in full bloom, the daffodils were nearly in full bloom, the tulips will be in full bloom next week, Japanese maple will be full soon so will the variegated willow, the peonies are bursting to bloom. It is just refreshing to see all this beauty around and feel spring in the air.

Organic, Grass fed Hamburger

At Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast, I try to use only grass fed meat as much as I can. I don't like using any kind of meat if it is not as natural as possible, by natural I don't mean just the fact that the animal is raised free range, or not injected all sorts of antibiotics. By natural I mean to make sure animals such as cows are not fed any kind of grains even organic grains, to make sure they are free range, graze on grass, roam around on land without being crowded, see the sun, the sun shines on them gracing them with its vitamins and have a stress free life.

The beef I use is from 'Kelley Bros. Farm Stand' which is located along the east side of the Kennebec River Pittston, Maine. The farm is currently owned and operated by Pete and Tammy Kelley along with their boys Billy and Cody, their farm was founded in 1873 by William E. and his son A. Leonard Kelley and passed down through four generations. Originally the farm was a working Dairy Farm until the main barn burnt in a fire in 1967. The farm was home to many pulling horses who also worked in the woods. They currently have added a new facility and a farm stand to sell their products. They also offer for sale their own organic hay that they process each year and hot to add natural compost for the summer. They do not sell in any stores or super markets, only at Farmers Markets and their own stand.

Today, I made a hamburger with their ground beef. I served it with just celeriac, no bread. My guest thought it was the best hamburger she had had in her life. I added salt, pepper and some sumac, fried quarter of an onion then put the hamburger in the pan let it fry for 5 minutes turned it over let it fry for another 10 minutes served it with celeriac root, green tea and honey. It was simple, delicious and nutritious.

Here is the information for Kelley Bro. Farm... they have no website, are not on FB, don't have a blog... they just do farming. They have email address and phone number.
Email: tlkell@aol.com
Phone: 207-242-8818
Cell: 207-2428818

Easter Sunday

This is how Easter Sunday came about at the Kismet Inn Bed and breakfast Spa. When I was at the Bath Farmers Market on Saturday, I saw so many of my friends, one of them was Susan, my yoga teacher. I invited her over for spinach omelet which she accepted. As she was leaving she asked if I would join her for a walk on the beach to which I said, YES right away. On Sunday, yesterday, Easter Sunday of 2010 she called me and asked which beach I would like to go to... Popham or Reid, I chose Popham.

Popham Beach bordering the south side of the mouth of the Kennebec River, Popham Beach State Park is truly one of Maine's rare geologic landforms that features a long stretch of sand beach...5-6 miles. Sunbathers relaxing on Popham's sands can see Fox and Wood islands offshore, and the Kennebec and Morse rivers border each end of the beach. Visitors can walk to Fox Island at low tide, but are warned to pay attention to the rising tides not to get marooned.

I suggested Popham Beach because of its long sand beach. We decided to go there then to 'North Creek Farm' in Phippsburg to have lunch. They make all organic sandwiches, have chickens running around where you can sit and have your sandwich. She is actually an expert in roses, she is Maine's leading rose lady. We got to the beach around 11:30 walked for a while, sat and soaked the sun for a while, chatted for a while, walked again. The beach being close to 6 miles is long enough to always find a corner that is not crowded, it is actually one of the quietest beaches in Maine even during the height of the tourist season in the summer it is quiet. It doesn't have a sense of commercialized beach, it is lovely.

People were all dressed in spring colors, pink, lavender, pistachio green, light blues, white, children were playing in the sand, some driving their trucks, some building castles, some flying kites, young and old lovers were holding hands walking, sitting on rocks, on tree trunks that were on the beach. Some were playing kick ball, badminton, one person was doing Thai Chi, 2 were even surfing, some were in their swim suits sun bathing, it was a colorful, happy site, it brought joy to our hearts and smile to our faces.

We went to 'North Creek Farm' Susan had a Turkey Sandwich, I had Asparagus cream Soup, we both shared a piece of blue berry pie. I highly recommend 'North Creek Farm' for a good sandwich. After the farm we went to Emily Rice's house. Emily is a massage therapist with experience and very good touch. She has a lovely garden, her and Paul, her husband were busy gardening. We got back around 5. We had a wonderful Easter Sunday on Popham Beach. It is a beautiful, quiet place. A place for everyone to come and enjoy.

Suluhiana

I am constantly updating the decor at the inn. I am now working on the bedrooms.

Sulhiana which means 'At peace with each other' is a Swahili word which actually originates from Farsi and has traveled through time to Africa. 'Sulh' means peace 'hian' means at the ones in peace, Sulhiana has come to mean at peace with each other in Swahili. The word was suggested by Natasha DellaPeruta one of my very first guests who has become a very good friend of mine. When Natasha emailed me the word I fell in love with it, I loved the meaning, the sound and pronunciation of it so without a moment of hesitation I chose the name for the room that is now called 'Safari' Last year, I decided 'Safari' is a better name for the room that I have the African Savannah land (a piece of true art work done by Mark Donovan) headboard for the bed.... I will give more description of Safari room in a different note.

The room that is now called Suluhiana I called it 'Iron Bed' simply because the bed is iron bed, I hadn't found a name for it. I thought Suluhiana was a much better fit as a name for this room than the other room so I changed the name. Incidentally, Safari is also a Farsi name it means travel which again is another lovely name... it actually means journey and I love that word... journey.

I love the setting in this room, it is simple and elegant. It has the essentials in it, two chairs that were bought at an auction, reupholstered by Mary Stride, a local seamstress, the bed is made locally by Gerry Galuza, a local blacksmith. I designed the bed, he drew a sketch then made the bed. It is really simple and elegant. It has wheels so it is easy to move it ... it is very sturdy. The mattress sits on slabs and wide board, no box spring, I don't believe in them. Today, I bought a white ruffled bed skirt, ironed and put it on the bed. I also got a white duvet for the down comforter with white sheets, moved a heavy long pillow that Mary had made from the bed, instead just put the pillows with the sham on them along with two small pillows that Mary has made. I moved the bedside lamps to another room, put one of the lamps that I have purchased from 'Carew Arts and Antiques' and another one from another bedroom. The bedside tables are simple, one is covered with a linen embroidery which I got at an auction, very simple and really beautiful. The armoire is also moved from one corner to the other.

The room has lovely tall bay windows with a window seat. The view is of the town green, 'Spirit of the Sea' fountain and 'Winter Street Church' both of which are town landmarks. The bathroom floor is off white pebble rock floor with radiant heat, it is great both during summer and winter. During summer it feels lovely and cool during winter lovely and warm, massaging the feet and sending relaxation up the legs, the spine, the shoulders and just ah! this feels good sense. The shower has spray jets and steam with a bench to sit and enjoy the steam.

The room has a great meditative sense specially since there are no t.v.... the inn is generally very quiet. I think of it as sanctuary of silence.