Cozy up by the fire at Abigail's
To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world. ~Charles Dudley Warner
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Few Hotels and Inns in Victoria can boast 17 wood burning fireplaces. Many of our guests find this time of year the most relaxing and enjoyable season to visit. The inviting smells of house made granola and baked goods in the morning, sitting by a warm crackling fireplace reading a good book, watching a movie, sipping a hot beverage or enjoying hot home-made soups and appetizers in the evening, paired with a fine BC wine.......we think you get the picture.
Fire & Ice Package - Starting at $267
Includes
- One night's accommodation for two in a Fireplace Room
- A bottle of local Zanatta Vineyards Fatima Brut (sparkling wine)
- A plate of four chocolate covered strawberries
- Breakfast in Bed basket
- Evening appetizers served in the hotel lobby
- Complimentary parking
Click here to book
Room Only Specials We're offering rates as low as $159 starting in January and on select mid-week dates November and December, or "Stay a Little Longer" for just $138. Including three-course breakfast, evening appetizers, parking, wireless internet, welcome cookies on arrival and 24hr coffee and tea stations - It's the best value in town!
Call 1-800-561-6565 for details or click here to book online
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 The Magic of Christmas
December is the time of year when Victoria turns into a Christmas wonderland as the streets and buildings glow with thousands of sparkling lights and the hint of snow is in the air (thankfully a hint is all Victoria typically gets). And there isn't a more magical attraction than The Butchart Gardens. The staff at the gardens start early, adorning the trees, bushes and walkways with thousands of colourful lights, holly wreaths, swags and the 12 days of Christmas displays, tucked away about the gardens. You can also enjoy ice skating on their outdoor rink.
Combine this experience with a stay at Abigail's and you have the perfect Holiday getaway.
Our "Magic of Christmas" package starts at $229 and includes: - One night's accommodation for two
- Admission for two to the Butchart Gardens Christmas Lights
- An Abigail's Hotel ceramic ornament
- Three-course breakfast at the hotel
- Evening appetizers served in the hotel lobby
- Complimentary parking
Does not include transportation to The Butchart Gardens Click here to book |
 The Great Gingerbread Showcase Each year, Habitat for Humanity puts on a holiday event where chef's from around the city showcase their talents with whimsical and creative gingerbread sculptures. Some are unique works of art while others are more traditional houses. Last year, our own chef Victoria participated with an intricate replica of Abigail's Hotel. Every detail of the hotel was meticulously crafted, down to the whale in front of the hotel. This year chef Victoria is in the process of designing a medieval village, with a Church, shops and of course, the hotel. This will be quite a challenge to build, so this year, she has enlisted the help of her husband Chris to help with the engineering tasks. We will post pictures of the process and final project in our next newsletter.
If you would like to attempt your own gingerbread house, Victoria is sharing her "Gingerbread Birdhouse" recipe, complete with plans and instructions. We would love to see your gingerbread creations, so please send us some pictures and we will share them in our next newsletter and our Facebook page.
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  Gingerbread Birdhouse Recipe
For the Birdhouse: 2-1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ cup butter ¾ cup packed brown sugar 1 egg ½ cup fancy molasses Icing: 2 egg whites 1 tsp. lemon juice 3-1/2 cups sifted icing sugar Perch: 1 cinnamon stick Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; mix well; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together shortening and brown sugar until well combined; add egg; cream until light and fluffy. Add molasses, combining well. Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture a little at a time until all is well combined. Turn gingerbread dough out onto wax paper; roll into a short log; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trace pattern pieces onto wax paper; cut out number of pieces for each section as indicated. Divide wax pattern pieces so you have a roof, 2 sides and a back piece together (tray 1) and the remaining roof and front pieces together (tray 2). Divide log of dough into thirds. Spray or oil 2 sideless cookie sheets, a rolling pin and your hands. Put 2/3 dough into middle of one cookie sheet; put remaining dough back into fridge. Using a rolling pin and your hands, spread out dough to almost cover surface of cookie sheet, leaving dough about ¼" thick. Lay out tray 1 pattern pieces on dough, being sure pieces don't touch each other. Cut around pieces using a sharp knife; remove all extra dough. Bake in middle of oven 10 -12 minutes. Repeat with remaining cookie sheet and tray 2 pattern pieces, rolling dough out to ¼ inch, covering half of the cookie sheet. Use any remaining dough for cookies. Remove cooked gingerbread from oven; immediately lay pattern pieces on top; re-trim pieces to size with a sharp knife. When the piece for the front of the birdhouse has finished baking, re-cut the hole. Icing: In a large bowl, using electric beaters beat all ingredients together until thick and smooth. Gingerbread Birdhouse Assembly: Lay the "back" piece flat on the counter. Using a piping bag (or plastic sandwich bag with a small snip off a corner) Pipe icing lightly onto the outside vertical edges of the back piece and on one end of a "side" piece. Attach side to back, standing it up at right angles to the back. Repeat for the other side. It helps to use a canned good for support until it dries. Let set for a few hours or overnight. Stand the house up with the back piece away from you; lightly pipe icing onto vertical edges of "front" piece and both ends of "side" pieces. Attach front to side pieces- the house will now stand upright with all four sides in place. Let set for a few hours or overnight. Lay one "roof" piece flat on counter, lengthwise. Apply icing lightly to one side of front and back pieces (on ends) and on side piece (on top end). Attach roof piece. The roof should overhang the front and back of the house by about 1-1/2 inches and the sides by the same amount. Repeat for the other roof piece. Let set for a few hours or overnight. Insert the cinnamon stick "perch" by punching a tiny hole below the front door hole. With a dab of icing, glue the stick into the hole. Encourage your children of all ages to decorate the birdhouse in their own style with various candies. Great as a table centerpiece! Chef Victoria |
 Events Around Town
Goldstream Salmon Run Dates: through November Location: Goldstream Park Website: HERE Experience the amazing sight of thousands of Chum Salmon, as they make their way up the Goldstream River to spawn and complete their fascinating life cycle, rated as one of the top things to do in Victoria. The salmon start appearing mid-October for about nine weeks. Goldstream Park is an easy 25 minute drive from downtown, along highway #1 towards the Malahat. Island Farms Christmas Lights Parade Date: November 27 Location: Downtown The Island Farms Santa Light Parade routinely draws crowds of more than 40,000 to the streets of Victoria to take part in a festive celebration of the winter holidays. Bands, floats and even Santa himself will parade through the streets spreading cheer and joy to all in sight Ballet Victoria Presents: Cinderella Dates: December 27-30 Location: The Royal Theatre Official Website: HERE Dazzling Fairy Tale guests bring an evening of adventure filled with great music, magic, humour and holiday cheer. |
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