Nothing Tastes As Good As Thin Looks!

So says Weight Watchers lifetime member Joe Palazzolo of Bethlehem, who gave a very inspiring talk to our “10 Years Younger in 60 Days” group on Tuesday evening. Joe lost 75 pounds in a year’s time and overcame severe health problems by following the Weight Watchers eating plan.

“Weight Watchers saved my life,” Joe told us. “I embraced the program, and it embraced me. It’s not a diet, it’s a way of life.”

In January 2007, Joe had already had a triple bypass and suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes, high triglycerides and high cholesterol. By December, he had dropped 75 pounds (and his wife lost 60) by following the Weight Watchers food plan and beginning an exercise program.

Because we are all trying to eat more healthily during our eight-week program, we wanted to know how the Weight Watchers program works, and more significantly, could it help us eat better and lose weight. Joe says “Yes!” provided we do the work.

Weight Watchers is based on portion size and has a point system. All fruits are free, as are most vegetables, but other foods are assigned a point value. Each person who joins Weight Watchers receives a specific number of points they can use each day, based on their age, weight and gender. They also receive an additional 49 points they can use throughout the week.

When Joe and his wife joined Weight Watchers they weighed or measured all of the food they ate and counted points and they still do. “You have to change your mindset,” he says, “and it becomes a habit. We teach you how to eat, and you have to track what you eat every day.”

He recommends the Simply the Best cookbook for anyone interested in following the Weight Watchers eating plan or for healthy eating in general. A member of our group who had lost 15 pounds through Weight Watchers several years ago, also gave the cookbook a thumbs up.

We were impressed with the healthy choices that Joe and his wife have made. Anyone can join and change their eating habits – and their life – according to Joe. Meetings are held locally in Littleton, Lancaster, Woodsville and St. Johnsbury; check Weight Watchers online for details and times.

“Every meal you make the best choice you can make,” Joe told us in conclusion.

Week No. 2 Weigh In:The scale was waiting for us as we descended the stairs to Adair’s Granite Room, reminding us immediately of why we were here. With the results in, we learned that some of us lost a pound or two during the first week, and some of us gained. Resisting cookies and other goodies this time of year is difficult!

More Goals:Two more Adair employees joined the group on Tuesday evening. Both want to lower their cholesterol. One wants to drop 25 pounds, the other wants to stay healthy and run a race in the spring and then take on a marathon at a later date. When she’s in her 80s she wants to feel like she’s still in her 30s, she says. What a goal!

The Wave!There’s the wave you do at football games, and then there’s the Wave that Lynn brought along to show us. This piece of exercise equipment is somewhat like a half circle. Placed on its flat ends it’s stable and you can step off and on easily – perfect for step aerobics and other stationary exercises.

Place it on its curvy side and you can rock back and forth and get a different type of workout. It comes with a CD, and Lynn says it’s the best piece of exercise equipment she’s every purchased. Several of us tried it and thought it was a blast. Thanks, Lynn!

Healthy SnackThis week’s snack was yummy – apple and cheddar cheese slices provided by Lynn. Unfortunately, we learned that to keep it healthy, we could have just two slices of cheese. Plenty of apples, though.

Next Week:

Innkeeper Ilja will have another motivational speaker to inspire and educate us about an aspect of healthy living. We’ll be striving to make better food choices throughout the week, and find the time to exercise, so that when we hit the scales, we’ll see the numbers creeping downward.

Full Moon Snowshoe evening builds memories

By Eileen Alexander

BETHLEHEM — Tromping through snowy woods on a bright winter’s evening was exactly like a scene straight out of an old-fashioned postcard — or a Robert Frost poem, with a few tweaks to account for 21st century tastes. Crisp air, towering pines, the clack and creak of our snowshoes on the snowy trail, brightly colored ski clothes, deer tracks in the snow, nervous laughter when someone stumbles over the unfamiliar terrain, a little huffing and puffing on the uphills, and oohs and aahs when the clouds part to reveal a full moon.

I’m on a moonlight snowshoe hike with about a half-dozen other guests at the Adair Country Inn & Restaurant. I’ve been on snowshoes before, and I’m the only one in our group with any experience – not counting our guide, of course -- although experience is stretching the truth some. Years ago I’d done some snowshoeing using the old-fashioned wood and gut snowshoes, but this year I have a brand new pair of lightweight aluminum ones and I’m eager to try them out. The day before the hike I strap on my snowshoes and hike the field next to my house just to be sure that I can a) put on the snowshoes without falling on my face and looking like an idiot, and b) can make it around the field without keeling over from exhaustion. I manage to accomplish both without any difficulty so I figure I’m all set for my outing.

We’re a nice group of women, some of us young and some of us older. Everyone is keen to give snowshoeing a try under the guidance of Nigel Manley, the manager of the nearby Rocks Estate, a 1,400-acre conservation property that is managed by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. So, not only are we going to have fun on our snowshoe adventure, we’re going to learn a little bit about conservation, forest management, and the creatures that roam the woods and whose tracks we can identify in the snow. While we don’t see any moose, bears or turkeys on the trails we follow around the 200-acre Adair property, there are plenty of deer tracks to marvel over, as well as lots of fox prints – they always travel in a straight line, Manley tells us – as well as some teeny, tiny mouse prints that seem to evaporate into thin air. Not so, Manley says; the mice have burrowed into the snow at the places where the tracks end.

Adair is managed for multiple uses including recreation (hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling) and conservation (it’s a tree farm), to best enhance and preserve its fields, forests, soils, water and wildlife for future generations. During our hike we traverse some of this landscape – forested land along the trail opens into a small meadow; in other open areas downed trees have been left to provide food and shelter for birds and small mammals; we tramp along a snowmobile trail that crosses one edge of the estate; and stone walls are evidence of long-ago farming activity.

Innkeeper Ilja Chapman has filled us in on some of the property’s history. Adair, a beautiful, three-story Georgian-style building, was built in 1927 as a wedding gift for Dorothy Adair Guider, the only daughter of Frank Hogan, a famous Washington, DC trial attorney. Mrs. Guider lived in the house until her death in 1991, where she hosted everyone from presidential hopefuls and Supreme Court justices to actors (Helen Hayes was a lifelong friend) and sports figures. It became a nine-room inn in 1992, and is now owned by Nick and Betsy Young and managed by Ilja and her husband Brad Chapman.

We get to experience some of Adair’s legendary hospitality during the buffet that precedes our snowshoe hike. A hearty and appetizing buffet has been set out for us in the Granite Room, so called because of its stout, granite-clad walls. Dozens of photographs and newspaper clippings recall the career of Frank Hogan, but there are also plenty of comfortable couches and chairs, games, books and a pool table that could easily beckon guests to relax and linger in front of the fireplace on a rainy afternoon or after a day on the slopes. Tonight, though, we enjoy the food but are eager to head out to the main event. Guests are welcome to bring their own snowshoes or borrow the Adair’s. There are plenty to go around and not too many difficulties getting us all strapped in and set to go. The temperature is around 20 degrees, cold enough to be stimulating, but not so cold anyone wished they’d stayed home.

We set off with Nigel Manley, our interpretive guide, for an hour’s hike along easy to moderate terrain. I’ve brought my ski poles to help me balance (a good idea for the over 50 crowd!) and I lend one to another older woman who’s not too steady on her feet. There is a lot of laughter and camaraderie on the trail, we each find a pace that works for us, and many of us remark on the unfamiliar feeling of being outdoors under a full moon. We’re too used to going from the warmth of our cars to the warmth of our homes, and few of us spend any time outdoors at night.

The evening concludes back at the inn with s’mores and hot spiced cider around the flickering fire pit. Cameras come out and we snap photos of each other as the fire crackles and sparks add some interesting effects to our pictures. It’s the end of a memorable evening, and we’re all feeling cozy and a bit tired, but wanting the night to last just a little bit longer to savor all of the good sights, smells, tastes and new friendships.
“Committing to an activity in the cold was a challenge,” says fellow snowshoer Colleen Moritz, who was there with her sister. “However, we were pleasantly rewarded with a great fun evening. We can't wait to go again.”
One woman, who was there with her daughter as an early holiday present, noted that the evening was a reminder that the best thing to invest in are memories and that is why they had come.

Her feelings were echoed by Aliza Anvari, another guest. “My friend Ruth and I had a blast for first time snowshoers and visitors to Adair Inn. We vow to come back with more friends and family to create more lovely memories!” I couldn’t have said it better.

Our First Weigh-In "10 Years Younger in 60 days"

Amidst grumbles and sighs, eight of us stepped on the scales for the first time Tuesday evening to begin charting our progress for the eight-week “10 Years Younger in 60 Days” program. Not one of us was happy with what the scales showed -- pounds plus our BMI score -- but we dutifully recorded the results in our brand new notebooks, determined that the numbers we record during Week 8 will show some significant changes.

And along with finding out that our weight and body fat weren’t quite where we wanted them to be, we also had to face the measuring tape and record various body measurements, including chest, stomach, belly, butt, upper arm and upper leg. By eating better and stepping up our exercise regimen we hope to firm and tone these areas, lose inches or add muscle, and reduce our BMI number into the acceptable range.

Each person involved in the program has set some personal goals they hope to achieve over the next two months, with losing pounds, eating healthy foods and getting more exercise topping most everyone’s list.

Other goals shared among the group include:
 gain muscle, but keep my weight at 145 or under
 be able to run a mile in under six minutes
 strengthen knees to avoid surgery
 get fitter to be able to bike into town and back again
 keep in shape without hurting
 have more energy
 look good for my son’s wedding in February
 eat regular healthy meals
 take time for exercise and to de-stress
 undergo a fruit flush to rid the body of toxins
 strengthen back
 manage stress
 learn about healthy eating
 eat more fruits and vegetables
 exercise on a daily basis
 reduce stress to sleep better
 make juicing a daily habit
 participate in a half-marathon in Washington, DC in March
 climb Mt. Washington next year
 do more hiking and skiing

We also donned a blood pressure cuff and recorded that reading as well. Tracking all of these markers each week in our notebooks and sharing our challenges and successes provides an incentive to stick with the program, develop healthy habits and meet our exercise and nutritional goals.

We truly felt like a team when Innkeeper Ilja passed out “10 Years Younger in 60 Days” T-shirts, which we wore for our individual photos and a group pic. Ilja also encouraged everyone to check out Dr. Oz’s Transformation Nation website, which the Adair program is modeled on.

The evening check-in wasn’t without its humorous moments, with Ilja demonstrating various hand weights, including a floor roller, a lot of kidding about fat butts and assorted other body parts, and one Adair employee, who shall remain nameless, who had her body measurements taken over her underwear, rather than over her street clothes to knock off a few inches!

Healthy Snack:
This week’s snack, a platter of red grapes and orange wedges provided by Eileen, received thumbs up approval from the Adair gang, and was a step up (definite improvement!) from last week’s green spinach shake.

Next Week: We’ll talk about our individual Plans –Action, Exercise, Nutrition, and Health -- that will help us move purposefully toward meeting our “10 Years Younger in 60 Days” goals.

Climbing Wall is Kickoff to Success!

It’s official! Employees at Adair Country Inn & Restaurant are on their way to looking “10 Years Younger in 60 Days.”

Innkeeper Ilja arranged a terrific kick-off event on Tuesday evening at the indoor climbing wall at the White Mountain School , right here in Bethlehem. Student rock climbers Sawyer, JJ, and Ze’ev took us in hand and set us up for the evening, explaining everything from how to step into our harnesses to performing safety checks to learning the different commands each climber and belayer (the spotter on the ground who controls the rope that anchors the climber) needs to know.

“We wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary to begin our two-month wellness program,” says Ilja. “The evening was such a success. Everyone participated and climbed the wall at least twice. Some, like Lynn and Brad went all the way to the top, inspiring the rest of us.”

Most of Adair’s employees had never climbed before, but were enthusiastic about learning, with “fun” being used most often to describe their experience. A couple of us liked it so much we plan to return to try it again. “It was fun,” says Chef Orlo. “It was a nice way to start off this adventure to better health.”

Our evening wouldn’t have been possible without our wonderful climbing guides from the White Mountain School. These young men were knowledgeable and extremely patient, making sure we were both safe and having a good time during our introduction to rock climbing. Thanks, guys!! The school’s climbing instructor Will Holets also let us know that, beginning on January 3, the climbing wall will be open to the public from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The first month is free, followed by reasonable rates. Give the school a call at (603) 444-0513 to learn more.

Participants in “10 Years Younger in 60 Days” have pledged to commit to a health & fitness plan to feel more energized, younger and better able to serve Adair’s guests in healthy ways. Now that we’ve kicked-off the program, we’ll meet each week for eight weeks for a weigh-in and blood pressure check, along with an inspirational program to help motivate us to give up our old habits in favor of healthy new ones, like exercising more, eating nutritious foods, and getting regular medical and dental check-ups.

Each week we’ll also share a healthy snack, and rate it here. On Tuesday evening, Innkeeper Ilja served trainer Drew Manning’s Spinach Shake, a recipe that was featured on the Dr. Oz Show. The Shake was a nice, bright green color, smelled like peanut butter and was refreshingly cold after an hour of climbing, but got mixed reviews, from the polite among us who made a face after tasting it, to the more outspoken, like one of our climbing guides who declared he’d rather stick with the sugary snacks he likes. Others in our group liked it a lot and wanted the recipe. For those who’d like to try it here it is (and just so you know, Innkeeper Ilja confessed that she made a mess in the kitchen putting it together!)

Spinach Shake
Makes 1-1/2 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups spinach
2 cups ice
1/2 banana
2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Directions
Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high speed, until completely mixed.

Next Week: Our first weigh-in and setting our personal goals for the “10 Years Younger in 60 Days” program. Stay tuned!

We’re Going to Look 10 Years Younger in 60 Days!

Yes. You read that correctly. From chef to housekeeper, innkeeper to waitress, many of the staff here at Adair Country Inn & Restaurant have made a commitment to participate in a two-month wellness program that we’re calling “10 Years Younger in 60 Days.”

It’s no secret. We all feel better when we get enough exercise, eat healthy foods and find some quiet time each day for ourselves. At Adair, we value our employees. That’s why we’ve designed a special program of diet, exercise, stress management and healthy choices to help each participant look “10 Years Younger in 60 Days.” The program will leave us feeling fit, healthy, and energized, and it’s our intention that our successes will inspire us to continue following many components of the program once it is finished.

To kick off the program that runs through December and January, we wanted a challenging and fun event that would get everyone excited and motivated to make changes in their lives that will result in healthier life-styles. Rock climbing seemed just the thing to get our juices going! On Tuesday, November 29, we’re going to learn rock climbing on the indoor climbing wall at the White Mountain School! Some of us are excited, some of us are fearful of leaving the ground, but each of us has made the commitment to try this new experience as we take charge of our health and fitness.

Following our kick-off, we’ll meet weekly for a weigh-in, blood pressure check and a short program to inspire, motivate and educate us to exchange our old habits for healthy new ones – our program menu might include nutrition tips, managing stress, revitalizing yoga, eating heart healthy, and exercising options during the cold weather months. Before and after photos will be a visible reminder of our successes, as will the individual notebooks that we’ll keep to record our personal goals and keep track of our progress.

Innkeeper Ilja has been lining up sponsors – local businesses that are providing incentives for us to eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, sleep better, manage stress, and take care of our health through regular dental care and a medical check. In return, sponsors will receive the gift of Adair; depending on the type of support, Adair can offer a gift certificate to our restaurant that can be given to one of your employees; arrange a cocktail party at Adair for your team; or even provide a romantic getaway at Adair Country Inn & Restaurant for you or one of your staff.

Throughout the program, we’ll be posting our progress to Facebook and blogging here about our challenges and successes. By the time we’re finished, we expect to look and feel 10 years younger and to be firmly committed to our own healthy living. We also want our experience to inspire other businesses to jump on board and take their own pledge to be “10 Years Younger in 60 Days.” We know we are better able to serve our customers when we are rested, exercise regularly and eat nutritious food, and that other businesses share this philosophy of healthy and happy employees providing superior customer service. Any business that would like to participate as a sponsor or who would like information about starting a program of their own, can contact Ilja at 603-444-2600.

In health,
Ilja and Brad Chapman, Innkeepers

Apples: The True Taste of a North Country Autumn

Fall is upon us and that means many things here in the North Country. The leaves are starting their annual burst of color bringing in the leaf peepers, the pumpkins are starting to become fixtures on porches, cool comfortable days are followed by crisp nights and, of course, apples are ready to be picked. Everywhere one looks there are apples and apple products. The apple harvest is one of the glorious aspects of autumn here in New Hampshire. Biting into a just-picked apple is one of life’s true pleasures.

Of course, eating a fresh apple is not the only way to enjoy the splendor of the harvest. Among the other products and preparations of apples are cider, apple juice, apple butter, apple jam and, perhaps most famously, apple pie.

Here in the States, apple cider generally refers to what other countries call apple juice. To keep things clear, hard cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple cider; apple cider is the unprocessed liquid extracted from apples; apple juice is cider which has been filtered and frequently sweetened. Different flavor profiles are determined by using any of the dozens of different varieties of apples grown in the area.

Cider is essentially apples which are cored, chopped, mashed and pressed into a liquid. This unfiltered drink is rich with a deep, fresh apple flavor. Served warm or cold, cider tastes almost as good as an apple straight from the tree. Once the liquid is filtered, it becomes apple juice. Sometimes sugar is added and the resulting beverage is much less tart and usually more kid-friendly. The juice is of course clearer and cleaner tasting. While very refreshing, it does lack that right-off-the-tree taste.

Hard cider is the term used for fermented cider. This was perhaps the most popular beverage in North America in the early- to mid-1800’s due to its availability, low cost to produce and freshness stability. The decline of its popularity started when Americans moved from rural towns to urban areas, cutting down apple orchards as the production of cider became less profitable. Then the new immigrants brought more of a taste for beer than cider, further contributing to its demise. Ironically, it is the renewed interest in craft beers that has led to the revival of the cider industry as well.

There are several other products made from apples, the most popular of which is applesauce. Making applesauce is perhaps one of the easiest things to do. With a mixture of sweet and tart apples, about the only other ingredients you will need are a cinnamon stick and some water. No extra sugar is needed when the apples are at their peak of flavor. I simple cut and core the apples and put them in a pot with just one-half inch of water and a cinnamon stick. Add a pinch of salt, cover and simmer until the apples are completely soft. Run it through a food mill. Check for desired sweetness and either leave as is or flavor with rum, bourbon or any other flavoring of your choice.

Another simple, though a little more labor intensive product is apple butter. Depending on the recipe (there seems to be as many recipes for this as there are varieties of apples), make your applesauce using cider instead of water, process through the food mill, add sugar and spices, then cook down until very thick — a crock pot works wonderfully for this. Apple butter is a beautiful spread full of spiced apple flavor that can add a special touch to many dishes.

Then, of course, there’s apple pie, one of the most enduring American desserts. While the pie has English origins, its original source probably goes back centuries before.

Finding only crabapples in the New World, (they are the only apple native to North America), English colonists brought over seeds and planted them in the rocky soil of New England, which was the perfect condition for them. Because of the great apple crops and the many varieties of apples that grew, apple pie soon became a favorite dish of the settlers. While there are differences in recipes depending on the country of origin — English, Dutch, Swiss, etc. — the basic recipe has changed little through the years. The addition of sugar is perhaps the biggest change to the basic recipe as people’s taste and desire for sweeter foods has increased. Apple pie in America is still one of the great treats of fall, though it certainly tastes wonderful all year long.

So, as autumn is in full swing, go pick some apples, eat some right off the tree and use the rest to savor the true taste of fall here in the North Country.

New England McIntosh Cake
This easy-to-make apple cake is good either as a dessert or for breakfast.
3 McIntosh or other New England apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 c sugar
1-1/2 cups canola oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" x 13" baking dish. Beat sugar and oil with a whisk or electric mixer. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in apples, nuts, and vanilla. Pour into baking dish. Bake 60-70 minutes. Cake should be golden brown and firm. Top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and enjoy.

Savoring Autumn

Fall is one of the best times of the year to visit the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire and we are always pleased to welcome guests here at the romantic Adair Country Inn & Restaurant in Bethlehem to experience all the sights, sounds and flavors of the autumn season.

Enjoy the crisp air of a fall day -- perfect for a morning walk, an afternoon hike or a day trip along inviting back roads and byways to see the spectacular fall foliage: all those reds, yellows, oranges and purples just take our breath away! Check the development of the foliage here.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the color of autumn leaves is determined by several factors, chiefly length of day, rainfall, sugar accumulation in the leaves, little to no wind, and days of cool bright weather without a killing frost? Sunny and cool days and chilly -- but not freezing -- nights produce the brightest colors! Scientifically speaking, fall is when the tree’s production of chlorophyll, created by sunlight during photosynthesis, slows down. During fall’s shorter days, the green gradually disappears, and the leaves change color.

In fall, we like to stroll around the Adair grounds or sit on the stone patio and watch the birds. They are flocking now, getting ready for their fall migration to warmer climates. It’s fun to watch them flit from tree to tree, from branch to ground, or splash around in a puddle after a rainstorm. Their antics remind us of a family with a lot of kids getting ready to go on vacation – lots of bickering, a few tussles, but luckily for the birds -- no luggage!

For serious birders or for anyone who would like an especially nice walk, we recommend a trip to the nearby Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. From the parking area near the Whitefield airport, it’s an easy 1.5-mile walk along the wide, flat trail -- an old railroad bed -- to the viewing platform at Big Cherry Pond. Over 40 species of birds have been recorded during migratory periods, and it’s also not unusual to spot moose, deer and beaver. The views across the pond toward the Presidential Range of the White Mountains are spectacular, particularly at this time of year.

In September and October we love to go apple picking, from the trees on the Adair Country Inn & Restaurant's 200-acre property or at a nearby pick-your-own orchard. Pick an apple – or two – right off the tree and eat it or take some home to make apple pies, applesauce or apple butter. If you are a guest at the Inn or stop by for dinner in our restaurant, we know you’ll want to try one of Chef Orlo’s apple dishes, like the Vermont Country Farms Pork Chop that’s prepared with cider-braised onions and bourbon-spiked applesauce or the Apple-Popover Bread Pudding, a simply sinful Adair popover blended with apples and served warm with Jack Daniel’s custard sauce and cranberry compote. Chef Orlo has prepared a spectacular fall menu of seasonal dishes to tempt you after a day of birding, hiking, antiquing, or apple picking!

We hope to see you soon!