Woo Your Valentine at the Beacon House Inn!

Romance Your Sweetheart At The Beach!

Romance your sweetheart at the Beacon House Inn for Valentine's Day!

We realize it's hard to get away, so we're celebrating Valentine's Day all month long! Book your two night stay at the Beacon House Inn during the month of February* and receive a Sweethearts Package that includes complimentary flowers and chocolate covered strawberries!

*Promotion is not available February 17th, 18th, or 19th.

And, consider our other romance packages to woo your darling!

Romance Package 1 - Cupid's Best!
Your choice of red, white or sparkling wine, Handmade chocolate covered strawberries, a fresh floral arrangement in room, and a gift certificate for dinner for two at the Beacon House's favorite restaurant!

Add $175 to the room of your choice.

Romance Package 2 - Be Mine Valentine!
Greet your loved one with your choice of red, white or sparkling wine. Then dazzle them with a fresh floral arrangement in room and a gift certificate for dinner for two at the Beacon House's favorite local restaurant!

Add $125 to the room of your choice

Romance Package 3 - Love Potion #9!
Your choice of red, white or sparkling wine and a fresh floral arrangement set up in room prior to your arrival.

Add $75 to the room of your choice

Romance Package 4 - Heart To Heart!
Enjoy two nights in a standard guest room, and these additional amenities: a bottle of chilled sparkling wine, a fresh floral arrangement in room and a gift certificate for dinner for two at the Beacon House Inn's favorite restaurant!

Midweek $300/Weekends $325

Upgrade your room to the Whirlpool Suite or the Romance Suite for an additional $80.

Please note: package prices do not include tax or gratuity.

Pricing valid through April 30, 2012

May 1st thru September 1st 2012, call for pricing

The Beacon House is located right across the street from the beach in Carolina Beach, NC - the perfect backdrop for a hand-in-hand beach stroll...and don't forget about the spectacular breakfast served every morning!

Make sure to mention this package to the Innkeepers when making your reservation, 910.458.6244.

2012 Beach Wedding Packages

We're starting to receive calls from lucky brides & grooms who were engaged over the holidays! If you're considering a beach wedding or elopement in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, we suggest you take a look at these packages. As always, please give us a call for details, at: 910.458.6244.

The Beach Elopement Package

Ready to say “I Do”? The Beach Elopement Package is designed for just the two of you. Perfect for the couple seeking an intimate ceremony and a quick getaway, and for budget minded brides!

This package includes:

* A beach wedding ceremony with a non-denominational minister
* Bride's Bouquet
* Groom's Boutonniere
* Witness

$500 + tax (cost of lodging and gratuity are not included, a two night minimum stay is required)
Prices are subject to change at any time, please call to confirm.

Package must be paid in full 30 days in advance of check in. Package fees are Non-refundable with less than 30 days notice. Pricing is good Monday through Friday. For additional dates, please inquire about the cost.

Please note: this package does not include photography. Add Ceremony Photography for $225.00 + tax (digital photography, copyright-free images provided to you on a disc - no prints)


The Beach Wedding Package

This wedding package is designed to provide you with a memorable and romantic union in an intimate, simple setting. A beach wedding or vow renewal ceremony with only those closest to you will allow your day to be stress free! Let us take care of all of the details – from the “I Do’s” to the flowers to the celebratory toast!

* A beach wedding ceremony with a non-denominational minister
* Early check-in at 1:00 p.m.
* Bride's bouquet
* Groom's boutonniere
* Ceremony Photography (digital photography, copyright-free images provided to you on a disc - no prints)
* A bottle of sparkling wine with 2 keepsake champagne flutes 
* A beach themed wedding cake for two
* Keepsake cake topper and cake cutter

From $999 + tax (cost of lodging and gratuity are not included, a three night minimum stay is required)

2012 Beach Wedding Package pricing is $999 Sept 15th – April 30th, Monday-Friday
Weekend weddings add $200 (holiday weekends excluded)
Holiday weekend & summer weddings, May 1st – Sept 15th, add $350
Prices are subject to change at any time, please call to confirm.

Please note: this package includes Ceremony Photography only. Inquire about additional photography options – cake cutting and toast, couples beach photo shoot, etc.

Package must be paid in full 30 days in advance of check in date. Package fees are Non-Refundable with less than 30 days notice. At the Innkeepers’ discretion, outside wedding guests (guests not staying at The Beacon House Inn) may be permitted for cake cutting only, at a nominal fee. Please call the Innkeepers for details.

Where the BBQ Meets the Beach...For a Good Cause!

How about a great reason to get out of the house and to sample some BBQ for a good cause? Join us at the 1st Annual Step-Up for Soldiers Backyard BBQ Cook-off!

Carolina Beach, N.C. on Saturday, January 28, 2012 twenty-five teams will take to their grills, forks in hand, secret recipes folded and stashed in pockets, all for the glory of the title and the satisfaction of knowing they have raised a significant amount of money for Step Up For Soldiers.

The Competition will start with a level playing field: everyone will have the same meats, be in the same location and have the same time constraints. But thrown into the mix will be individual rubs, sauces or marinades, grill temperatures and methods of cooking that will leave someone going home with braggin' rights for the next year.

The cook-off will be held at the lake in Carolina Beach at the junction of Lake Park Blvd. and Atlanta Avenue and everyone is welcome. Admission is free. Tickets can be purchased to sample the BBQs after the double-blind judging is completed. There will be music, raffles, arts and craft vendors and additional food and drink for purchase. Gates open at 11:00am and prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm. And all to benefit Step Up For Soldiers.

Step Up For Soldiers is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of our disabled veterans and their families. Step Up For Soldiers was started in November 2004 by Tom Russell, a retired Port Authority police officer and Vietnam Vet. His intent was to assist wounded soldiers who were sent overseas in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack and he began with building wheelchair ramps for two soldiers who returned home paralyzed from the waist down. The organization has increased from a single person to a small family of nine dedicated volunteers and continues to develop as it grows. Russell's goal is to help as many families of active and non-active duty soldiers as possible in the Fort Bragg to Camp Lejeune areas by modifying homes and providing other services to veteran and active duty soldiers.

There is no better way to spend the day than tasting the best BBQ around, maybe eating some oysters or a burger, listening to great music and browsing through the goods from the arts and craft vendors while helping support such a deserving organization.

To volunteer during the event contact Kevin Holton at kwholton@gmail.com or call 919-274-8617. For more information contact Rose McConville at rosemc110@gmail.com or call 910-547-0087.

To become a vendor, or for more information about the event or the organization, click here.

New Year's Resolution To Lose Weight?

If you're like a lot of other people, your New Year's Resolution might have been to lose weight or eat healthier. And as you probably know, Southerners do love their comfort food! So, how can you have the best of both worlds? Try a few of these revamped beloved recipes...

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Smokin Hammy Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups fat-free milk
1 (12-oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded 1.5% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
3 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
1 (8-oz.) package chopped smoked ham
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni by package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk until smooth and slightly thickened. Whisk in Gouda cheese, next 3 ingredients, and 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in ham and pasta.
3. Pour mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Stir together crushed cereal, 1 Tbsp. melted butter, and remaining 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper; sprinkle over pasta mixture.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

If you like, get creative and add some broccoli for extra fiber or a few dashes of Texas Pete for an extra kick. 453 calories and 27 grams of protein.

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Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients:
Parmesan Grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Creamy Shrimp Sauce
1 pound unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp (4 1/50 count)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
2 cups firmly packed fresh baby spinach

Preparation:
1. Prepare Parmesan Grits: Bring 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in cheese and pepper. Keep warm.
2. Prepare Creamy Shrimp Sauce: Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and 1/8 tsp. salt. Cook in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil; heat 30 seconds. Whisk in flour; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in broth and next 5 ingredients; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in shrimp and spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach is slightly wilted. Serve immediately over grits.

Serves 6 - 235 calories per serving and 19 grams of protein.

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Grilled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 (3/4-lb.) pork tenderloins
Vegetable cooking spray
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
6 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Preparation:

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients; rub pork tenderloins evenly with seasoning mixture. Lightly coat pork with vegetable cooking spray.
2. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 10 to 12 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portions registers 155°. Remove from grill, and let stand 10 minutes. Chop or slice, and serve on hamburger buns. Drizzle each sandwich with 1 Tbsp. Barbecue Sauce.

264 calories per serving and 26 grams of protein!


For more inspiration to stick to your 2012 goal, visit Southern Living online.

New Year's Around The Globe

Wondering what folks do in other parts of the world to ring in the New Year? In no particular order, here is a quick glimpse from around the globe that we’ve compiled from various resources on the web.

If you don’t already have your own tradition, maybe these will inspire you!

In Korea: Ancestral memorial rites are held, then children wish their elders a happy new year by performing one deep traditional bow. Show your respect for the senior members of your family by asking them to tell you the stories of their lives.

In Spain: As the clock strikes midnight, revelers eat 12 grapes (one with each toll) to bring good luck for each month of the new year. Don’t forget to make a wish on each grape!

In Japan: When the New Year begins, Japanese people like to laugh, as this is believed to make old worries disappear and ensure the coming year is a happy one.

In Burma: During the traditional Thingyan festival marking the Burmese New Year, people splash water on one another in order to start the New Year with a purified soul.

In Brazil: Don your choice of intimate apparel (aka underwear) to impact your fortune for the ocming year. - red if you're looking for love, yellow if you're hoping for money – and no, you can’t wear both! Also, a sacrificial boat laden with flowers, candles and jewelry is pushed out to sea from Brazil's famous Ipenama beach in Rio de Janeiro.

In the Netherlands: Pyrotechnics - Dutch partygoers set their discarded Christmas trees ablaze! Also, it is a good sign to find your door heaped with a pile of broken dishes at New Years. Old dishes are saved year around to throw them at the homes where their friends live on New Years Eve. Many broken dishes were a symbol that you have many friends.

In Panama: More fire - residents light on fire elaborate effigies of pop stars and political figures.

Everywhere: Buddhist temples toll their bells 108 times at midnight. This tradition is called joya no kane, which means ‘bell rings on New Year’s Eve night’. The rings represent (and repent for) the 108 elements of bonō, defilements, that people have in their minds.

In Scotland: Celebrate the New Year with several customs, such as First Footing. This involves friends or family members visiting each other with a gift of whisky, and sometimes a lump of coal.

In Greece: A special New Year's bread is baked with a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the Christ child; the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.

In the Phillipines: There are several traditions such as wearing clothes with circular patterns like polka dots, in the belief that circles attract money and fortune and throwing coins at the stroke of midnight to increase wealth in the coming year. Traditions also include the serving of circular-shaped fruits, shaking coins inside a metal casserole dish while walking around the house, and jumping up high to cause an increase in physical height!

In Wales: Calennig sounds nice. It’s the tradition of giving gifts and money on New Year's Day, though nowadays it is customary to give bread and cheese. Sounds like a win-win!

In Germany: 'Bleigießen' is a New Year's Eve custom, which involves telling fortunes from the shapes made by molten lead dropped into cold water.

In China: For the Chinese New Year, every front door is adorned with a fresh coat of red paint, red being a symbol of good luck and happiness. Although the whole family prepares a feast for the New Year, all knives are put away for 24 hours to keep anyone from cutting themselves, which is thought to “cut” the family's good luck for the coming year.

In England: The British place their fortunes for the coming year in the hands of their first guest. They believe the first visitor of each year should be male and bearing gifts. Traditional gifts are coal for the fire, a loaf for the table and a drink for the master. And by the way, guests who are empty-handed or unwanted are not allowed to enter first!
In Sicily: Tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year's Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.

In Mexico: One of the many traditions is to make a list of all the bad or unhappy events from the current year; before midnight, this list is thrown into a fire, symbolizing the removal of negative energy from the New Year.

Cheer Infused Holiday Libations

We did the research for you, and there are plenty of wintery holiday drinks out there. Forget about grandma's eggnog, and check these out:

HOT TODDY

(Feeling a little under the weather? This is just what the doctor ordered!)

2 tablespoons honey
3 shots of bourbon (we like Woodford's Reserve)
lemon juice and zest to taste
1 cinnamon stick

Preparation

Stir honey and 1 cup hot water in a large cup until honey dissolves. Add the bourbon. Divide between 2 Toddy glasses. Zest a lemon over each drink, and add juice to taste. Stir each with a cinnamon stick and serve. Finely grated fresh ginger is also a lovely addition!

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CRANBERRY COBBLER
(or, "who really needs cranberry sauce?")

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1/2 orange, sliced into thin rounds
1 1/2 cups dry gin (we're thinking Bombay Sapphire)
3/4 cup dry sherry
6 mint sprigs

Preparation

Bring sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir constantly. Remove from heat. Pour off all but one cup of the syrup. Heat syrup in pan almost to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add cranberries and simmer until they just begin to pop, just a couple of minutes. Let the syrup cool.

Place 2 tablespoons drained cranberries and 6 tablespoons cranberry syrup in a large pitcher. Add lemon wedges and orange slices. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, vigorously mash fruit. Stir in gin and Sherry. Let steep for 5 minutes.

Strain into a medium pitcher. Fill 3 glasses with crushed ice. Pour half of mixture into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice; shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into prepared glasses, then mound with more crushed ice. Garnish each with a mint sprig and 3 cranberries. Repeat to make 3 more cocktails.

Mmmmmmm!

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PEPPERMINT SUPER DECADENT HOT CHOCOLATE

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet (preferably 60% cocoa) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 ounces of Peppermint Schnapps per mug
4 small candy canes (for garnish)

Preparation

Beat 1/2 cup cream and 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl until soft peaks form. Cover; chill. Whisk 1/2 cup cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and milk in medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Whisk in peppermint schnapps. Divide chocolate among mugs. Top with cream and garnish with candy canes.

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THE BASIC CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

Ingredients

3/4 fluid ounce pear brandy
5 fluid ounces Champagne or other sparkling white wine
1 tablespoon whole-berry blackberry preserves

Directions

Pour the brandy into a champagne flute. Top with champagne. Gently drop in preserves.

Toast!

Carolina Beach Bound for New Year's Eve?

Heading to Carolina Beach, NC for New Year's Eve 2011? Our suggestion is to skip the usual hotel routine, and to ring in the New Year at the Beacon House Inn Bed & Breakfast instead! With an assortment of restaurants nearby, you'll be in no shortage of dining and libation options.

Later, around 9 p.m., you can meander on over to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk for the town's festivities! Don't miss the giant lighted beach ball being dropped at midnight followed by a spectacular fireworks demonstration. This is a free family-friendly event that will feature a DJ and dancing! And, in an Island of Lights tradition, there will be a raffle, with the winner taking home original artwork.

The Beacon House Inn is currently offering the best rates of 2011!

Considering a couple's getaway? We have accommodations in the Inn that will suit you, and include a full breakfast each morning of your stay. We also offer packages for romance or relaxation.

Looking for a little something extra in the spirit of New Year's Eve? Consider adding our 2011 New Year's Eve Package. It includes: a bottle of sparkling wine upon arrival, party favors to take to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk New Year's Celebration. Then, whenever you're tired, head back to your room to enjoy a midnight snack basket! Wake in the morning for breakfast, and then enjoy a nap or a leisurely morning, as this package also includes late check-out!

Celebrating this holiday with pets or kids? We've got that covered too - check out our cottage rentals!

Call us for details! 910.458.6244