Visit to Rose Hill Mansion (2 of 3)

On my last post, I wrote about the relaxing trip we took to Hilton Head Island on the coast of South Carolina early in November.  The weather was great except for one day that was cold, 54 degrees, and rainy.  We planned a house tour that day to stay inside. Come join us!

We drove about 30 minutes from Hilton Head to historic Bluffton, SC, to visit beautiful Rose Hill Mansion. It was built in 1858.  The history is incredible and well documented so visit this website, www.RoseHillMansion.com  for the background.  I just wanted to share some pictures we took with you.

The house is a 10,000 square-foot Gothic Revival  that borders an inland waterway at the back.  The front yard is several acres.  Oh, the house looks so romantic with the Spanish moss blowing in the cold wind!  The owners live upstairs and the tour is of the downstairs areas.

 The ceiling on the porches are in a barrel shape to keep the air cool.

 

The owners lived in the gardener's cottage for three years while the house was renovated.  Yes, you can rent the cottage!

When you enter the wide double doors, this beautiful staircase is the first thing you see.  Yes, you can rent the house for weddings!

This table and gorgeous rug is at the bottom of the stairs!

The furniture was bought by the current owners to complement the house.

Next are pictures of the office.  This is my favorite room.

Next is the ladies parlor!

 

It was about this time in the tour when the guide reminded us of The Great Depression when squatters lived in the house.  In each room was a family with no electricity or running water.  Families even kept their chickens in their room. .

Now, the dining room....where we were served wonderful refreshments: pound cakes, cobblers, pimento cheeses, etc.

There was a sun room off the dining room and a men's parlor that was huge!  After I ate a few refreshments, I forgot to take many pictures:-).  Here are a few pictures of some of the large furniture in the men's parlor.

Now for the rest of the story.  During the civil war, Union forces occupied Hilton Head.  When they fired on Bluffton, they spared Rose Hill.  History says they didn't burn the house because the troops thought it looked like a church.  In fact, the same architect designed the Church of the Cross in Bluffton.  But others say no.  Dr. John Kirk, the builder of both Rose Hill and the Church of the Cross, was a beloved doctor who took care of both Confederate and Union troops who were wounded. 

A beautiful day in the low country....Thank you for joining us!

Love,

Lottie                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Beach trip to Hilton Head Island, SC (1 of 3)

Hello bloggy friends!  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed your time with your family! We did!  

A couple of weeks ago, we visited Hilton Head Island on the coast of South Carolina.  It was early November and we were not sure about the weather, but it was in the 70s most days.  It was wonderful to just have some time to relax before the holidays!  Come on a tour with us.

DH and I wore our jackets or sweaters and walked along the beach everyday!

DH wakes up early anyway and took the camera with him every morning for his walk on the beach to capture the sunrise.  I slept late but he showed me the pictures at breakfast.

 We could walk to the beach from our apartment but we didn't have ocean view.  This is the view outside our balcony window.  So relaxing.... and different than piles of leaves at home.

We could also see the kiddie pool and the hot tub to the top right of the stairs.  DH loved that hot tub!
 

We were on the second floor right in the middle.  Except for one day, the sunshine was glorious!

I don't think I have ever enjoyed a get away as much as this year!  We were able to spend some time with both our sons at the beginning and end of the week.  We didn't spend hardly any money at all since it was off season.  And it made our Thanksgiving better this year because we were rested when we came home and started the holidays.  It makes it easier to laugh and let the little things fly by!

I'll be honest, the seven hour drive home was hard, but we decided we are going to the beach again next year in November.  We will gamble on good weather again.

You don't have to take a trip like we did (missed the pets somethings fierce), but be sure to take some time to relax before the holidays! It is so important to be rested.

What do you do to be rested before the holiday?

Love,
Lottie

Applesauce Cake from The Charlotte Cookbook

My real name is not Lottie of course, it is Charlotte.  No one knew me as Lottie until I started blogging.  I like Lottie.  No one called me Charlotte when I was young, it was always "Sweet Charlotte" from the movie Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. 

Somehow, when I was young, I never learned to cook without a recipe.  The culture of all the women I was around (and later my husband), was of fabulous cooks who threw a little of this and a little of that in to create culinary ecstasy!  Oh my gosh, the great potato salad I have eaten! No recipe necessary!

But for me, I need a recipe. Even if I've made the dish, like cornbread, a million times, I still need a recipe.  And of course for me, everything has to be measured exactly! (Please don't laugh.)

When I was a young wife and Sweet Charlotte, back in 1977, I decided to get over the "no recipe" rule and buy a cookbook just for me!  I found The Charlotte Cookbook published by The Charlotte Junior League, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1976.

Yes, I bought it just because of the title.  This was the first cookbook I bought for myself so it holds a special place in my heart, as well as the bookcase full of cookbooks I bought afterwards.

I was also sure this cookbook had good recipes!  Why? The cookbook says so.

           Over 800 recipes have been tested and edited for this book.  The
           Cookbook Committee has tried every recipe and in some cases
           slight variations have been made.

Since Christmas of 1977, I have followed this recipe for Applesauce Cake from The Charlotte Cookbook!  It always tasted so good and the whole house always smelled so good while it was baking.  I want to share this favorite recipe with you today!

Oh, I can't begin to describe how good this tastes!

Applesauce Cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1    egg

1    cup applesauce

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (scant)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

Cream 1/2 -cup butter with 1/2 -cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add egg.  Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and soda and mix with egg mixture.  Add applesauce, spices and raisins.

(DH volunteered to help. Don't forget to add a "hunk of love" to the recipe!)

Put in greased 9x12 -inch pan.  Melt the 1/4 -cup butter and dribble on top of cake.  Sprinkle 1 cup brown sugar on top (using more or less according to taste).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.  Serve warm topped with whipped cream if desired. 

                                             ... Mrs. Terry Young

I have never served it with whipped topping. It tastes fine just as it is.  Also, it is even better the next day.  I usually freeze the squares for later.

I've been baking this Applesauce Cake for 36 years and never once changed the recipe.  But for health reasons, I need to retire this recipe.

I hope you enjoy this recipe just in case you are like me and need one!
:) Lottie

Painting My Blue Cottage

Hello! I've been busy October and now November such that there is hardly time to sit down to the computer to blog.  DH has been on the computer constantly checking the weather as he has been painting the house.  I admit I complained about this painting project because I had a list of things for him to do.  He told me over and over that he wanted to paint the house this fall, but somehow I didn't understand.

DH is repairing gutters, window sills, and shutters ... painting everything as he goes!  I think he is enjoying every minute!  Does your husband have his own agenda?

Hope you are enjoying your fall day today!
Lottie