A sweetie for sweeties

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Alicia Barger, the Inn’s pastry chef, had our mouths watering as she whipped up this guest favorite: Chocolate Cheesecake starring OREO® cookies! We talked her into sharing her recipe with us, which is a perfectly simple and absolutely delectable dessert for Valentine’s Day.

The recipe calls for a food processor to make the OREO crust. If you don’t have a food processor, Alicia has a trick:  Place the OREO cookies in a large sealable plastic bag. Press bag to remove excess air, then seal it. Use a rolling pin to crush cookies to form fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and squeeze the bag to evenly moisten the crumbs.

Inn on Biltmore Estate Chocolate Cheesecake

For Crust

3 tablespoons butter, melted

36 OREO cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place cookies in food processor until finely ground.

Add butter and mix until moistened.

Press crumb mixture onto bottom of 9” x 13” pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool before filling.

 

For Filling

1 1/8 cups sugar

¼ tsp salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 pound, 14 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (just under four 8-ounce packages from your grocer’s dairy case)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup chocolate syrup

4 large eggs

¾ cups whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream sugar, salt, and butter until light and fluffy.

Add cream cheese, scraping sides of bowl frequently.

Add sour cream and chocolate syrup. Scrape bowl well.

Add eggs and cream in increments, scraping well between additions.

Pour into cooled OREO crust-lined pan and bake for 1 hour. Test by lightly tapping on the top of the cake. It should be firm but slightly jiggly.

Freshen Up With Framing

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Freshen Up With Framing

After the holidays have ended and the decorations are packed away, your home can feel downright dull and in need of a pick-me-up.

We went to the experts—our friends at Larson-Juhl—who have created several families of frames featuring a six step hand-finished process and inspired by objects within the estate’s collection.

They offered several simple, creative ideas to freshen up your décor while also showcasing a few of your favorite things that may have been overlooked for a while.

Frame and Function

Custom framing is a fantastic resource when working to freshen your space—not only do custom frames look beautiful, but they can provide needed functionality too!

• Transform your jewelry into art and organize it at the same time by working with your custom framer to create a beautiful jewelry holder Jewelry framed like a picture
• Help your whole family stay organized all year long with a message center that includes a custom framed chalk board and memo board—perfect for creating lists and keeping those important items in one place
• Organize all of those family photos you have stashed away by having them custom framed in a photo collage, which will perfectly meld with your style and allow you to enjoy those memories out in the open

New Year, New Display

• Breathe new life into your favorite artworks by having them re-framed for the new year in a style you’ll enjoy for many years to come

Matchbook collection, framed
• De-clutter your shelves and bookcases by removing all those collectables you tucked into different spaces. Carefully dust and clean them, then have them preserved and put back on display by custom framing them in shadowboxes. Whether elegant or whimsical, anything from seashells and figurines to pins, spoons, and postcards can be framed!

custom framed photo of a wedding party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to discover the Biltmore Collection at Larson-Juhl or find a store near you.

Spa at Home Experience

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Few things in life are as relaxing as a visit to a luxurious spa.

How can you get create the same feeling in your own home? We asked the experts at The Spa, located in the Inn on Biltmore Estate, for some do-it-yourself ideas that anyone can enjoy.

 Soak it up

A long soak in a hot tub can work miracles for tired muscles and a stressed mind. Treat yourself—or someone special—to a soothing experience with our Biltmore Bath & Body products. The clean, refreshing fragrances of this collection offer peace of mind and help relax your senses while moisturizing your skin. Try our Foaming Shower Gel for your home spa soak (or shower, if your time is limited). Follow up with Shea Butter Body Lotion and Hand Lotion to make the experience last even longer.

 

Indulge in the entire paraben-free Biltmore Bath & Body collection crafted with exceptional ingredients and featuring alluring scents such as Blood Orange, Black Orchid, The Gardens, Blackberries and Cream, and more.

Shop the complete Biltmore Bath & Body Collection at Belk.  

Spa Tip: to stay hydrated, be sure to drink plenty of tepid water while you are soaking.

Throw in the towel

 While enjoying your home-spa soak, you may want to roll up a towel to place behind your neck. This will cushion you from the harder surface of the tub and help keep your face dry.

Ready to unlock spa secrets to lush locks? While soaking or showering, apply a moisturizing treatment to your hair (try salon recommendations or make your own home-based version). Wrap hair in a towel and relax while the treatment does its work.

Group of Belk blue and white Legacy Towels

Enjoy our luxurious Biltmore For Your Home towels, available at Belk in four collections: Legacy, Century, Chateau, and Everyday Luxury.

Shop all Biltmore For Your Home Towels at Belk.  

Spa Tip: to enhance your home spa experience, use towels in calming colors such as greens and blues.

Wrap it up

Whether you’re opting for a luxurious spa soak, a rejuvenating shower, or simply trying to carve out a bit of time for yourself, go ahead and schedule those precious minutes each week. Otherwise, it’s easy to forego the time you need to relax your mind, recharge your spirits, and refresh your body!

What's Cooking?

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Belk Cookware Set

Looking for a thoughtful gift that will be used all the time? Our Biltmore chefs have partnered with Belk to create quality cookware to delight the culinarians in your life. From novice to experienced cook, this 13-piece set of cookware will help ensure professional quality results from the kitchen!

 

 

Shop the collection at Belk here.

Pellegrini Bedding Collection

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Artistic inspiration

Make a dramatic statement in rich cotton damask with our Pellegrini Bedding, drawn from the warm red tones in the Biltmore House Library and Giovanni Pellegrini’s The Chariot of Aurora ceiling painting soaring overhead. 

The Chariot of Aurora ceiling painting in the Biltmore House Library“The Chariot of Aurora” ceiling painting in the Biltmore House Library

Historical note: Pellegrini’s The Chariot of Aurora originally graced the ceiling of the Pisani Palace in Venice, and is one of very few of his works still in existence today.

Find the entire Pellegrini Bedding Collection at Belk here.

New Year’s Eve: Turn up the Sparkle!

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Your holiday table may not be as large as the one in the Banquet Hall of Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, but don’t let that stop you from creating a memorable and sparkly setting for your New Year’s Eve celebrations at home.

Banquet Hall table set for
Banquet Hall table set for “A Vanderbilt House Party” exhibition in 2019.

Our Biltmore Floral designers are experts in creating shine and polish for all types of events, but especially for New Year’s Eve celebrations around the table.

Here are six ideas for creating Biltmore-inspired decor for your New Year’s Eve celebrations:

  1. Take a look around your home to see what kinds of everyday objects you can transform into extraordinary elements. You’d be surprised by what you can do with what you already have, such as sparkling ornaments from your Christmas tree, candles, glass vases, and the like. Of course, if you come up short, a trip to the local crafts store may be necessary.
  2. Start with table linens to build a base for your centerpiece. Layer your linens, starting with a tablecloth; then add an overlay, and finish with a runner. Build texture by mixing solid colors, metallics, and elegant prints.
  3. If you don’t have them on hand, you can purchase oversized martini or Champagne glasses, or vases for the centerpiece. If room permits, use three different heights and add some tulips to each glass, letting them spill over the edge. Acrylic gems added to the water in the vases will create a sparkling effect.
  4. Another centerpiece idea is to use one or several clear glass vases that are varying in height and fill each vase with water pearls and LED submersible lights (available at any craft store). Metallic twigs in each vase will add extra sparkle to the table.
  5. Don’t forget candlelight! If you have room, use a variety of sizes: pillars, candlesticks, and votives. The more, the better! At the base of your vases and candles, add oversized gems or crystals to reflect the light. For a more whimsical look, add a variety of clocks so you can watch the countdown to the New Year.
  6. Most importantly, remember to have fun and don’t hold back on your creativity.
Detail look at decorative elements
Sparkling ornaments from your Christmas tree can be repurposed for creating a sparkling tablescape.

We hope these ideas from Biltmore’s floral experts help make your New Year’s decor and tablescapes sparkle!

Orange Tree Centerpieces from Biltmore House Breakfast Room

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Breakfast Room in Biltmore House.

 These vibrant centerpieces bring a hint of traditional elegance and timeless style to your holiday table or buffet, just as they do for the Breakfast Room in Biltmore House.

Molly Hensley, Biltmore Floral Designer, gives us some of her insight:

 We chose oranges to compliment and draw attention to the two Renoir paintings—Young Algerian Girl and Child with an Orange—that hang in the room.

 To add a bit more texture and richness to the look, place the finished centerpiece on a decorative flat plate or a raised cake stand. We chose Cake Stands from Belk’s Biltmore for Your Home Collection to give our centerpieces an extra bit of height plus a hint of metallic silver detailing.

Materials needed

  • Hot glue
  • Wooden floral picks
  • Small knife
  • Artificial oranges (amount needed depends on size of centerpiece you want to create)
  • Artificial leaves, orange blossoms
  • Ribbon (optional)

  Assembling the centerpiece

 If using ribbon in your design, wrap the ribbon once around the orange and attach it with hot glue.  Do this with all oranges you are using for the centerpieces.  We used a bright citrus green ribbon for a seasonal pop of color against the oranges.

 Lay out a first layer or base of oranges in a circular/wreath-type pattern on your work surface.  Make a small hole on opposite sides of each orange, insert a wooden pick* in the hole, and use the pick to attach each orange to the next.  For extra support, fill the hole with hot glue before inserting a pick.  Work with care and protect your hands from hot glue!

 *Note:  depending on the size of your picks, you may need to cut them so all oranges rest flush against each other once picks are inserted.

 Once the base is completely dry, begin building the rest of the centerpiece in a “pyramid” fashion.  Using hot glue, affix the oranges on the top part of the base where the picked oranges attach. Continue building upward, gradually decreasing the amount of oranges you are using.  This can be accomplished by affixing the oranges slightly to the back of the layer you are attaching it to (almost in a stair step manner). 

 When the desired height is reached, put the last orange on the very top with a bow attached.  To fill in open spaces, glue an assortment of leaves or orange blossoms in the gap. 

  Make the look your own

 Consider using limes rather than oranges, or rich, red apples to enhance your holiday décor. 

Easy Ribbon Wreath for the Holidays

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This is a favorite decorating project around here!  A ribbon wreath is an easy and inexpensive project for the holidays.  It is a great way to repurpose ribbons from past celebrations, making an elegant decoration for that special spot in your home.  Coordinate colors with your Christmas theme or with your home’s interior to create a festive and stylish seasonal design.  Have fun and be creative.  This is also a great project for kids.  They just need supervision with the push pins!

 You will need:

  • A straw or Styrofoam wreath form found at floral and craft stores.  We used 14” for these instructions, but you can increase or decrease to your preference.
  • Around 12 yards each of 4 different but coordinating ribbons of varying widths and textures.
  • A chenille stem to make the hanger, found at craft stores, looks like a pipe cleaner.
  • About 50 to 75 fern pins, found at floral and craft stores, looks like a long staple.

 Instructions:

  • First wrap the entire wreath form with a wider and simpler length of ribbon.  Attach one end of the ribbon to the back of the form with two of the fern pins pushed at a slight angle through the ribbon and intoWrap ribbon around the wreath form. the form to secure.  Then tightly spiral the ribbon, overlapping slightly, and continue to wrap the form to cover, attaching the end with two more of the fern pins, securing tightly.
  •  Next, twist the chenille stem (or pipe cleaner) around the wreath to form a hanger.

 

  • Now, create several bows of various ribbons, with the loops being about the same size.  Leave the tie ends as single “tails” and cut the loose ends at an angle or with a “v” notch.  You may also create single loops and tails to fill in between bows.Attach bows to pins.

 

  • Pin the bows and loops and tails onto the covered wreath form with the fern pins, pushing the pins through the center point of the bow. Cover wreath form by inserting pins with bows.

 

  • Continue adding bows and loops and tails until all but the back surface of the wreath form is covered.  The closer the bows, the fuller and fluffier the wreath will appear, but don’t crowd them so much that the wreath looks stiff and tight. Close up of finished wreath.

 

Helpful Tip: Be sure to hang your wreath indoors unless you have used weatherproof ribbons.

George Vanderbilt's Special Christmas Gift

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In the days around Christmas 1897, George Vanderbilt was travelling abroad preparing for a trip to India with his good friend, William B. Osgood Field. By late December, they had taken up residence in Paris and were staying at the Hotel Bristol. William wrote his mother fascinating letters detailing their days, but it is particularly interesting to see that the two travelling bachelors were also spending quite a bit a time with a certain young woman, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser. Though George was quite secretive about his intentions, Edith had clearly caught his eye. Edith, for her part, must have been receptive to his attentions as she had invited George and William, as well as some other friends, to the apartment she shared with her sister Susan to dine on Christmas day.   

On Christmas Eve, William surreptitiously snagged one of George’s socks, tucking a small calendar for his writing case into the toe. The stocking was filled with thoughtful tokens and toys that Edith and her governess had picked up on the Parisian boulevards. In went an almanac and a small book of poetry and a newly-published volume of Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz. George was presented with the overflowing stocking as a surprise at breakfast on Christmas morning.

Books were, of course, the perfect gift for George Vanderbilt. George, in fact, presented his friend William with a beautiful copy of Keats at that same festive breakfast.  But could it be that this volume of Quo Vadis was an expression of a secret Christmas wish from Edith? Set in ancient Rome, the Nobel-prize winning novel tells the love story of a young Christian woman and an aristocratic imperial officer. The underlying narrative contrasts the opulent and decadent culture of the wealthy Roman elite with the rewards found by those who seek a simpler lifestyle, embrace altruism and the spiritual power of Christian faith.  We will never know for sure… but, to me, it’s quite telling that George’s running list of “Books I Have Read” documents that he was reading this copy of Quo Vadis later that year, during his honeymoon, with his new bride Edith by his side.

68 Trees in One House? Of Course!

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Wondering what it takes to decorate Biltmore for the holidays?

It’s a study in arithmetic and herculean effort. Biltmore House and all of the buildings around the estate command a team experienced in wrangling trees, lights, candles, ornaments, poinsettias, wreaths, kissing balls, garlands, ribbons and bows – though not necessarily in that order. Read on, and just for fun, keep your calculator handy.

Trees

We use a combination of fresh cut Fraser firs and artificial trees for fire safety and protection of the collection in Biltmore House. We also use live nursery plants in the various areas of the house.

• The 2012 celebration boasts 68 Christmas trees inside Biltmore House – the most ever on record!

• The largest tree inside Biltmore House is the 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall.

• A lighted 65-foot-tall Norway spruce anchors the front lawn of Biltmore House.

• A total of 55 additional decorated Christmas trees are located across the estate, including the Winery, Inn on Biltmore Estate, Antler Hill Village and our restaurants.

Lights and candles

There are around 30,000 lights in Biltmore House, with around 125 candles. About 125,000 mini lights twinkle around the estate. Around 45,000 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree in front of the house, and “up” lighting accents the poplar trees lining the front lawn. Three hundred luminaries line the driveway and Esplanade in front of Biltmore House.

Ornaments

We use 500 wrapped gift boxes, 500 ornaments and 500 electric lights to decorate the Banquet Hall Tree. We use around 12,000 ornaments on the other trees inside Biltmore House, and that many again around the estate, for a total of 25,000 or more.

Poinsettias and other blooming plants

We use mostly red poinsettias with some white and a few marbled and pink. In total, we place around 1,000 blooming plants throughout Biltmore House along with several hundred more in the other estate facilities.

Wreaths

Our wreaths are made of fresh white pine, Fraser fir, boxwood, holly or artificial bases decorated with dried flowers, silk flowers and other ornamentation. We place 360 fresh wreaths and sprays around the estate during the season, along with 130 artificial or silk.

Kissing Balls

Around 130 are made of white pine and Fraser fir, placed all across the estate through the season.

Garlands

Fresh garlands are made of white pine and Fraser fir. We change them weekly to keep them fresh for our guests. We use 5,000 feet during the season. Silk, dried and artificial garlands add another 1,200 feet in Biltmore House and around 1,500 feet in other areas.

Ribbons and bows

We use 500 inside Biltmore House with that many again in the ancillary areas. From narrow cording to 8-inch-wide ribbons, we decorate with velvets, metallics, satins, burlap and printed cottons.

About the photo

The Tapestry Gallery in Biltmore House boasts six Christmas trees this year!