Camai Bed and Breakfast Summer 2012 Flowers

Summer 2012 in Anchorage Alaska had less sunshine more rain yet normal temperatures which tables show; however, the flowers in Camai Bed and Breakfast gardens flourished.



The B&B’s tea roses were especially beautiful and fragrant. We had fourteen bushes gracing our back upper deck. Guests enjoyed sitting, relaxing amid the roses while viewing the gardens below. One guest this summer stated she enjoyed their fragrance when she first stepped out of her car.

Camai’s Peony bed had its first showy peony bloom in late May. For Anchorage Alaska growing standards this is early. The remainder of the fifteen peonies bloomed through the end of June. They were abundant and exceptionally fragrant. These plants like the south side of our B&B where they have their special bed.

This was our first summer where the fireweed plants were tall and abundant in our perennial gardens. They joined our lilacs and Sitka roses.



This summer we had twenty-one hanging baskets laden with blooming flowers. Of these baskets nine were fuchsias. Bell's Nursery is their happy winter home. In May 2013 we will reclaim them when we most crave the color flowers give. In May Caroline planted the other twelve flower baskets.



Everything is now either happily abiding in a green house waiting for summer 2013 or is covered with snow and also waiting to return to full glory.

Anchorage Alaska Winter Snow 2012

During Anchorage Alaska’s long summers our Camai Bed and Breakfast guests often ask what the winters are like. The accompanying winter picture of Camai B&B tells much of the story.

This winter has been filled with a unusual amount of snow for Anchorage. We are now just 6” away from a record snowfall year. Since we still have at least a month of winter left, we may break the record.

Does the snow slow us down? Not really. Which at times is unfortunate for some who lose control of their vehicles. I think everyone in Anchorage tries to leave a little early for appointments and events, but sometimes cannot.

In January 2012 the major’s office posted a blog on the history of snow removal within the municipality.

Recently there have numerous letters to the editor which are mostly complaining about the poor snow removal. It is an election year. More than one Anchorage voter has commented on how the mayorial elections can be lost due to poor handling of snow removal. With this year’s snowfall the mayor’s office has set up a website just for the snow removal status.

The main roads are plowed regularly. For the most part our residential roads are plowed. The city has big snow blowers which come through and reclaim the streets by blowing the snow into resident’s front yards. It is amazing that the street really is wide enough for two cars to pass one another.

Camai B&B is located on a cul-de-sac. When snow plows come they plow in every tighter circles until they have made a mound in the center. The center mound has to be hauled away to a city snow dump. The video posted on Camai Bed and Breakfast's Facebook page shows the large skip loader filling a damp truck. There was so much snow that it filled eight dump trucks.

New Amenity at Camai Bed and Breakfast

In researching all the possibilities to supply HDTV to our Anchorage Camai Bed and Breakfast guests we chose to go with satellite reception.

Earlier this year I began the process when I received an email from Direct TV. When I asked for the company's current Alaskan customers, I was given several B&Bs who are not in Anchorage. I checked with them and they are all pleased with the service.

The satellite was installed on Saturday and the wiring of all six TVs in the bed and breakfast suites was completed. The picture shows where the satellite is mounted on our very snowy roof. The two technicians were extremely professional and did an excellent job of mounting each TV's receiver in a good location within the three suites.

Each suite now has excellent reception and many channels to view including one of our favorite, The History Channel. Now our guests can view The Weather Channel for updates on our weather.

Cornmeal Flapjacks Camai Bed & Breakfast

Caroline Valentine at Camai Bed and Breakfast in Anchorage, Alaska, tried a new breakfast recipe this week for Cornmeal Flapjacks served with berries. Winter is almost over and the revision of the recipes for summer guests has almost been completed. Table is set and breakfast is ready. Come stay at Camai Bed and Breakfast and join us for breakfast.

Cornmeal Flapjacks

1 cup cornmeal
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk
2 cups strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or mixed of berries
If doing this in the winter you could use frozen berries or bananas.

Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the beaten egg, oil, molasses and buttermilk.
Heat griddle to 325 degree, then oil. Drop almost ¼ cup batter onto griddle for each flapjack. Cook about 2 minutes on each side. Keep in warming drawer until ready to serve.

Serve with berries and maple syrup or blueberry syrup.

Makes about 12—4 inch flapjacks.

To make this recipe more healthy I suggest using ¾ cup wheat flour instead of white flour.

Either way you will enjoy!

Kodiak Alaska Fishing

Abundant fishing on Kodiak Island of Alaska occurs due to several factors. One is plankton. Many of the forces of nature come together in the waters off Kodiak Island in Alaska. Why? It’s all about plankton’s needs.

Plankton need nitrate, iron and sunlight. The Pacific Current heads west from Japan, sometimes fast, sometimes slow and it slams into the panhandle of Alaska. There it splits into the Southern California current and the part going north is the Alaskan Current. The Alaska bight swings it around and directs back west. In the u-turn a gyre is set up pumping up deep cold nitrate rich water.

Storm fronts also heading west hit the Alaska Panhandle’s 14,000 foot mountains and dump enormous amounts of rain. When this rain reaches the sea, it is nitrate poor but very rich in iron. In the winter this water forms a narrow vertical wedge that is weakly stratified. The weak stratification drags what plankton that grows deep and out of the sunlight. In the Summer this vertical wedge re-forms as a shallow horizontal layer on top of the cold water in a highly stratified system where the plankton can't get at the nitrates. During Spring and Fall life is good for plankton.

But that isn't all. As the Alaskan Current moves west irregularities in the coastline, small islands, and the drag against the ocean floor sets up eddies. These eddies promote some mixing. And when the Alaskan current slams against Kodiak Island currents from the deep are forced up and marine life, birds, and sea lions, harbor seals become very thick and abundant. Welcome to Kodiak one of the world's richest fisheries. The Kodiak Project documents fly fishing on the Karluk.

For Easterners you have a similar situation with a cold deep layer laden with nitrate and iron forced up by the Grand Banks into the sunlight.

While Craig and Caroline of Camai Bed and Breakfast in Anchorage have lived in Alaska for more than 34 years, this weekend is the first that Craig has visited Kodiak, Alaska. He wrote the above report.

Pecan Cinnamon Rolls recipe

This breakfast recipe for Pecan Cinnamon Rolls is a modification of the recipe for Bacon Pecan Cinnamon Rolls found on food.com. At Camai Bed and Breakfast’s house for breakfast this past weekend I prepared the recipe for Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. I always prepare the recipe exactly is written the first time. While it is tasty, in my opinion, it is not as good as the one below which I have modified, as indicated.

The recipe is easy to prepare and its presentation is impressive.

Please let me know what you think of this recipe. You may post a comment to this blog if you wish.

Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecan halves
• ½ lb bacon, cooked crisp crumbled (I suggest omitting this.*)
• 24 refrigerated biscuits (large ones)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• ¾ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar* (original recipe calls for regular sugar)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Spray bundt pan with non-stick spray. Spread pecans on bottom. If you are using crumbled bacon, also spread it on bottom of pan. Set this aside.

In gallon size Ziploc bag mix ¾ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Place biscuit three at at time in Ziploc bag. Shake well until each is coated.

Place pieces into a bundt pan on top of the pecans. About six biscuits will form a first layer. Stagger each layer. You will have about four layers.

Combine melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Pour over biscuits.

Bake until golden brown for about 35 minutes in 350 degree oven. Serve warm.

Camai Bed & Breakfast House’s Bathroom Remodel

The Rose Suite bathroom’s newest remodel at Camai Bed and Breakfast is now completed. Our house is frequently under construction which makes it challenging to schedule work while making sure that guests are not aware of the construction. We have done fourteen major remodels.

The latest work, a minor one, was to remove a huge cabinet which served no function. By removing the cabinet the bathroom now looks even more spacious.

Last Friday the very large cabinet which extended up to the ceiling was removed. The cabinet is still good and was donated to Habitat Re-store where it will be re-sold. At Camai B&B we are an eco conscious and green award-winning bed and breakfast.

After the removal, the wall was taped and mudded. Finally the wall was textured. Two days later I painted. A framed piece of Chinese art which Craig’s mother gave to Craig now hangs on the newly painted wall. New guests arrived same evening the project was completed.