What's New

Stratford's Chocolate Trail - all year round!

2010-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Think chocolate - think Stratford!

Indulge in our newest culinary experience - Stratford's Chocolate Trail. Choose chocolate treats from sixteen stops ready to welcome you from chocolate mocha sauce to chocolate mint bath salts to chocolate martinis. There are treats to please every chocolate lover. Dip into Stratford and buy your Choco-pass to get started.

Details at welcometostratford.com/chocolatetrail.

Guided Heritage Walking Tours

2010-07-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Explore 19th century architecture at its best, carefully maintained and continuously celebrated. Choose the Historic Downtown Walk of distinguished landmarks, the scenic River Walk Tour, our park's jewel - the Shakespeare Garden Tour and our Historic Churches Tour.
A different tour is offered free each day beginning at 3 pm, Wednesday through Saturday during August departing from the Visitors Information Centre on York Street.
For self-guided heritage tours and podcasts visit welcometostratford.com/heritage.

Come On Girls!!!! Visit Justin Bieber's Stratford!!

2010-05-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that Justin is from Stratford, Ontario and he is our favorite pop star. Although he is an international musical sensation, he still comes back to visit his good friends. Growing up in Stratford there were lots of places that he hung out at or have special meaning for him - from the steps of the Avon Theatre where he first started singing and earned enough to take his Mom to Disneyworld to the place he went on his first date. We have created a map to help you take a tour of Justin Bieber’s Stratford – the schools he went to; the ice cream parlor he went to after soccer games and the skate park where he learned his moves for his videos.

Download our Bieber-iffic Map to Stratford and have a great time!

Visit www.welcometostratford.com/justin

Spa Packages Now Available!

2010-04-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Indulge yourself when you visit The Mornington Rose with a Spa Package tailored to suit your individual needs and wants. Esthetic Services such as relaxing aromatherapy massages, body scrubs, facials, manicures, and pedicures are available for that extra pampering you love.
Do a little something for yourself to make your stay more memorable, and let us make your visit complete!

Visit Victoria's Glass Studio!

2010-04-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

While staying at the Mornington Rose, visit Victoria's Glass Studio.
Using a variety of fusing techniques, she creates glass suncatchers, windchimes, and unique cabochons with clear, coloured and dichroic glass. One-of-a-kind jewelry is created by twisting 14K gold-filled, sterling silver, or copper wire around the cabochons to create necklaces, pendants, earrings and bracelets.

Victoria also uses a wide range of natural minerals, such as Lapis Lazuli, Rhodochrosite, Onyx, Amethyst, and Crazy Lace Agate and fashions them into fine jewelry of heirloom quality. Many sizes, shapes and colours of freshwater pearls are often a favourite when she designs and creates wedding jewelry. Mabe pearls, hemispherical shaped pearls which are grown against the inside of the oyster's shell, rather than within its tissue, make fabulous pendants!

Take a little bit of Stratford home with you on your next visit!

Recipe #1 - Baked Breakfast Strata

2010-04-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

Directions for 9 x 13 pan. This makes enough for about 12 large triangles for a main course or smaller portions for a brunch.

4 to 6 cups bread cubes, a variety, toasted or not
1 cup diced bell peppers, any colour
1/2 cup diced onion, red or white
8 slices cooked bacon or ham chopped (optional)
2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese
9 eggs well beaten
1 1/2 cup fresh milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of cayenne
any herbs you have handy

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease with margarine (not butter, it burns) or spray a baking dish.
Place an even layer of the bread cubes over the bottom. Add a layer of the onions, peppers, bacon and cheese. Repeat until the pan is full, ending with a cheese layer.
Combine the eggs and milk with salt and pepper then pour over the top. Let sit for an hour or overnight in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before baking, if time.
Place the strata filled pan in another larger pan. Put them in the oven. Add enough hot water to the outer pan to come two thirds of the way up the sides, using a tea kettle. This will insulate the strata and keep the eggs from overcooking. (Sometimes I omit this step and just put it in the oven, but it gets a bit darker on the outside of the pan when cooked.)
Bake until firmly set, about one hour and as long as an hour and a half.

Directions for individual ramekins: full recipe makes about 8 ramekins (4 inches across x 1 1/2 inches deep). Adjust quantity of ingredients depending on how many you want to serve.

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. Spray or grease as many ramekins as needed.
3. Layer ingredients as above, until each is almost full.
4. Pour over enough egg/milk mix to cover, and soak for a bit.
5. Put ramekins onto a cookie sheet with edges.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until brown and puffed.

Serve with bacon, asparagus, and grilled tomatoes with parmesan crumbs.

Make it Mexican, and serve with spicy sausages, sauteed mixed peppers, salsa and sour cream

Bon appetit!!!

Recipe #2 - Murray's Seed Bread

2010-04-15T07:28:00.001-07:00

1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar
Stir warm water and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top, and let stand 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.

In large bowl or in metal bowl of KitchenAid mixer combine the yeast mixture plus:
1 tbsp. each of honey and molasses
1 tsp. salt
1 cup water (additional)

Add and work in the following until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup mixed seeds (sunflower, poppy, flax, cracked wheat, sesame)

Knead, using your hands or the dough hook attachment, 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in clean greased bowl, turning once to grease the top, or giving a spray of Pam. Cover with a tea towel, and let stand in the oven with the light on and door closed for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Shape into loaf pan (we use a long baguette pan), 2 smaller loaf pans, or on round 9 inch cake tin. Cover with tea towel and let stand again in the oven with the light on and door closed for about 30 - 40 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 25 - 20 minutes. Turn out onto racks to cool. Bread is cooked when it sounds hollow when tapped. Brush warm tops with butter if desired.

Enjoy with butter and home-made jam or preserves!

Recipe #3 - Gluten-free Sausages

2010-04-15T07:27:00.001-07:00

These are wonderful!!! These sausage patties have no filler and are a great addition to the several kinds of local Farmer's Market sausages we serve for breakfast!

Mix the following all together with your hands - really squishy!
2 lb. lean ground pork
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. parsley
1 Tsp. each of salt, sage, basil, marjoram, chili powder and black pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme and cayenne (optional)

Divide into two portions and shape into logs, pressing very firmly. Roll in waxed paper and refrigerate overnight. Slice with sharp knife into 1/2 inch slices. Cook 3/4 minutes each side in non-stick frying pan.

These freeze well. Cut into slices and freeze flat in one layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer to heavy duty Ziploc bags, to use as needed. I usually thaw them overnight in the fridge, but they can be cooked from the frozen state.

Recipe #4 - Broccoli Salad

2010-04-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

Make the salad dressing the day before you need it and refrigerate overnight to blend flavours. Do not mix it with the rest of the ingredients until just before serving. If you do, the cranberries will release their red colour into the salad and turn it pink, creating a somewhat less than appetizing looking dish....

Dressing:
1 c. mayonnaise - regular or light
1/4 c. sugar - more or less to taste
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. poppy seeds
Mix ingredients and refrigerate overnight to blend flavours.

Combine the following and add the dressing:
2 heads of broccoli florets
1/4 to 1/2 c. dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 to 1/2 c. pecan pieces or walnuts (preferably toasted)
1/4 c. sweet, red, or vidalia onion, chopped finely

If the broccoli heads are very small, you can use the stems as well, or just the stems, reserving the florets for another use. Peel the outer layer and shred or chop finely. Then call it Broccoli Slaw instead of salad!

This dressing is also great on a salad of chilled blanched green and yellow beans with finely chopped red pepper and red or white onions.