Barn House Bathroom Renovation!

 We've been working the last few weeks on renovating The Barn House bathroom, and we are proud to announce it's completion!

Before:

After:

Improvements we've made:

• Installed Bathtub
• We decided to install a bathtub to replace the small shower we previously had. We put in beautiful green tile, with white accents.
• Added tiled ledge to bathtub
• We wanted the bathtub to be a comfortable, accessible area, so we installed a small ledge around the tub. This allows you to put up your feet and relax a little while. It also gives a convenient place for soaps and shampoo.
• Put in new eco-friendly window
• This window is weather-resistant and well-insulated to keep the cold out and the warm in (or vice versa during the hot summer months).
• Re-wired electric
• Outlets are now near the mirror for hair dryers, electric shavers, etc!
• Moved toilet and sink
• We think this layout works much better.
• Put in Allure Flooring
• We LOVE Allure! It is very easy to work with and install, and makes cleaning a dream. It is made of vinyl, but comes in a natural, oak color with nice texture for grip.
• Put in new drywall and painted our walls a lovely sage green
• New bathroom accessories
• We found accessories to match our color palette of natural wood and sage, to go with the natural theme of the property. Our favorite part is the shower curtain, and the LED candles that create a soothing atmosphere.

Our good friends over at Bradley Fox Construction did the beautiful tiling project for us. They were also a great resource for us to ask questions about other parts of the project. Brad Fox, the owner, is awesome, and we highly recommend his services. We will definitely use them again!

We hope that our guests will enjoy it as much as we do, and make good use out of the whole bathroom.

Photo Shoot at Hidden Valley

We recently had a Wizard of Oz themed birthday party photo shoot at our venue. It was hosted by Urban Style Wedding Network, and had several different wedding vendors to provide set-up, treats, and photos. Everyone had so much fun playing on the property, and the girls were adorable!
Check out the photos, they are just so cute!

Coordinated by Sara Mackenzie, Urban Style Wedding Network

Photographed by Jana Morgan

Sugar Table by Tailored Sweets

Candy Table by Love Candy Tables

Flowers by Camellia Wedding Flowers and Gifts

Rentals by White Wedding Day

Paper Products by Paper Scissors Print

Ruby Red Slippers by Disco Toes

Hats by Party Hats Entertainment

Lovely Models were Julia, Makena, Maylee and Mika

The Green Chamber of Commerce series

As you know, Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa is committed to being a green venue. We work hard to have environmentally-friendly practices at the Retreat. We've joined the Green Chamber of Commerce, a community dedicated to helping green businesses succeed. They've recently been working on a YouTube series of green businesses, and we were lucky enough to be featured on it! Fiona had a chance to talk about all of our green practices while they filmed beautiful shots of our property!

Check it out:

The New Reception Area!

We have completed the new reception area! It's been done for a while now, but we've been waiting for our first bride to test it out!
The new Reception Area is a 20x40 ft space just below the wedding stage. In the vain of the rest of Hidden Valley Retreat, we did our best to keep it natural. It is lined with hand-set rock walls, just like the other tiers of the property. We used decomposed granite to "pave" the surface, giving it a natural look while still being hard enough to dance and lay tables. This space has plenty of room to seat 100 people at round tables.
Check out the photos from our most recent wedding!

Reception Area below the Wedding Stage

We loved the paper lanterns around the stage!

Tables set-up in nature

It's Apple Season!

It's that time of the year again: Apple time! We have 6 mature apple trees in our orchard, and we've had delicious, organic apples for the last few months. When groups stay on the property, we always encourage them to enjoy, but we have so much that there's more than enough apples left. Our staff is always excited to take the fruit home to make delicious new recipes. We've made sweetened cinnamon applesauce, apple pie, apple crisp, and much more. One of our staff is a canned fruit expert, and she cans the apples to last throughout the year! Recently, my sister, an acclaimed pie maker, came to visit, so I took home a bag full of apples. My sister, Jane, has a peculiar technique of making her famous apple pie- no recipe! She throws in a little of this, a little of that, some secret spices, throw it in the oven and BAM, she's got some sweet apple pies for the whole family. 

Jane and Rebecca with their pies

For those of you who like to keep their recipes precise and measure things out, here is a tried and true apple pie recipe:

Old Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Cook time: 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour (can substitute 1/2 cup flour if you don't have almonds)
• 16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled in freezer for at least 15 minutes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 to 6 Tbsp water, very cold

Filling Ingredients

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 pounds of 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices of peeled and cored
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp cream

METHOD

1 In a food processor, combine flour, almonds, salt and brown sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.

Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2 Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

3 Combine sugar, flour and spices in large bowl. Use your hands and mix in the apples so they are well coated, then add brandy and vanilla extract.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

5 Spoon in apple filling, mounding slightly in center.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently turn over onto the top of the apples in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.

7 Stir yolk and cream in small bowl to blend. Brush over top of pie. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F. Tent the rims with aluminum foil or a pie protector if the edges are browning too quickly. Bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, anywhere from an additional 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of apples you are using. Transfer to rack; let stand 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Introducing: Aimee and Michael

Couples have been carrying on the trend of creating their own engagement and wedding websites for years now. As a wedding venue, we've seen a lot of our brides and grooms create unique, amazing websites, and we absolutely love exploring them! From photo stories to fun descriptions, our couples have the best ideas! The purpose of these websites is to provide information about the couple, their wedding party, the location of the ceremony, and even their gift registry. We recently saw a couple's website that we just had to share: Aimee and Michael. They are getting married at Hidden Valley Retreat on April 21, 2012. Like all of our couples, they will be hosting their very own weekend wedding. 

Aimee and Michael's website stood out to us because of their description of our property. Their website not only explains how our property works, but gives specific directions on how the weekend will play out for each of their guests. They allow their guests to choose if they will be staying at Hidden Valley or at a hotel. They also give their guests the option of being part of the "cleaning crew" to pay for their stay, or to donate money to alleviate the cost of the property. 

Here is what they said about us:

"The Hidden Valley Retreat has some accommodation onsite to the tune of about 40 spots for April 20th and 21st. A little over half of those spots are group bedding situations: combinations of bunk beds and rollaways. There are 4 small single bedrooms, and then a combination of a few Queens and Twins to make up the rest.

Once we send out invitations and begin receiving RSVPs we will start divvying up the spots, prioritizing the wedding party, the out-of-towners, and the immediate family who are arriving at Hidden Valley Retreat on the 20th of April, and working out from there.

If you’re willing to actively participate in the wedding preparations and clean-up, then your spots at the facility are complementary for the nights of the 20th and the 21st. If however you would rather take that time to enjoy the surrounding countryside or the facilities of the property then we would ask that you instead make a financial contribution to the tune of whatever you feel is appropriate for the accommodation. Any money received in this manner will go directly to offsetting the costs of the facility.

It should also be noted that there are only six bathrooms on site and thus if you are a particularly picky person who wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the dorm type atmosphere you may want to consider alternative accommodation. There are hotels relatively near the site and once we understand how many people are interested in hotel accommodation we will begin looking into obtaining group rates and possibly a shuttle service to go between the wedding and the hotel."

On top of the great description they have about Hidden Valley Retreat, they also have fun descriptions of their wedding party, and stories about themselves. Following in the ways of the eco-friendly couple, they have the option of viewing their Save the Date online, and having their guests print it out themselves.. On top of that, they are holding a group cruise as part of their honeymoon, how cool is that?! 

Aimee and Michael are an exemplary couple, and we fully encourage our future couples  to emulate their description of our property. You can see how perfect their website is HERE.

More to come in April! Congratulations to Aimee and Michael, we can't wait to have you!

Upcoming Events at the Hidden Valley Retreat

We have been receiving many phone calls about upcoming retreats and event we are holding. We are excited about these upcoming events!

Friday, November 11th - Tuesday, November 15th, 2011: Tantrapalooza

Tantrapalooza Website

Thursday, December 8- Monday, December 12, 2011: Illumination Intensive

Illumination Website

Friday, December 23- Sunday, December 25, 2011:

Spiritual Rejuvenation Shabbaton

Awaken your soul and spirituality with Rabbi Andrew Hahn's (aka the Kirtan Rabbi) unique infusion of kirtan chanting and traditional Jewish liturgy. Open to everyone, this 3 day retreat will introduce you to a non-traditional discovery of Jewish prayer. The weekend will include devotional singing, dancing, tai chi, torah study and a celebration of Shabbat like you've never had before. For more information or to register please go to www.hiddenvalleyspa.com/shabbaton.html. Please feel free to call 619-239-7700 or email shabbaton@hiddenvalleyspa.com with any questions.

Rabbi Andrew Hahn, Ph.D. combines a variety of tools to introduce Jewish Wisdom to an increasingly global village. Kirtan Rabbi's music is characterized by great energy, passion and melodic flow.

Shabbaton Website

Who gave that woman a jackhammer?

We are in the process of building a new reception area! It's right below the wedding stage. This space is going to hold around 12 tables to host 100 guests. We are currently working on clearing the space and leveling it. We are also building rock walls along the edge- by hand of course!

However, working at Hidden Valley Retreat is never as easy as it sounds. As we were leveling the space, we came across a HUGE boulder! Boulders are common on our property, if you've ever seen the Event Center, you would know; we've got boulders built right into the walls! Now we understand why-- those things are hard to break down! We were able to jackhammer most of it , but couldn't get it all. Now we have a permanent addition to the area: a beautiful, natural, white granite boulder to sit on. It matches the event center!

We will be posting many more photos as we make progress, but until then you can take joy in this photo of Fiona jack-hammering away!

New Webpage for Shabbaton Weekend!

We have launched our new webpage for the Spiritual Rejuvenation Shabbaton!

You can find it HERE.

There you can find more information, register, view the room assignments, view our food menu, and the tentative schedule. This site will be constantly updated with new information as the date gets closer! We will continue to post here as well to keep you informed of new exciting plans!

Spiritual Rejuvenation Shabbaton will be held Chanukah Weekend, December 23-25 at the Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa. It will be a weekend with the Kirtan Rabbi in which you will discover a non-traditional way of Jewish Prayer.

Spiritual Rejuvenation Shabbaton

A few months ago I experienced a wonderful Jewish service at The Hive in downtown San Diego. Rabbi Andrew Hahn known as the Kirtan Rabbi was visiting from New York and he held the most moving service.  I was inspired by his music and chanting of prayers and I had an authentic deep Jewish Experience, I was moved physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Our family has been a member of a congregation here in San Diego for more than 20 years, Congregation Beth El in La Jolla.  We enjoy a unique monthly musical Friday Night service in the style of Carlsbach. The sound and style of the Kirtan Rabbi’s service was so different and compelling.  The chanting and eastern sounding music resonated with me. Honestly, I was moved to tears.  Kirtan Rabbi also held services at other synagogues and homes in San Diego.  He got great reviews and I heard that so many other people loved the feeling of his services. 

After my experience with Kirtan Rabbi, I was elated to find out that he was asked to be the officiant for one of my brides at Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa! I feel like fate had a huge hand in bringing such an influential person back into my life once again.  While discussing plans for the wedding, we began talking about turning his trip into a huge event. What we came up with is a Shabbaton Weekend! We are just thrilled with this idea and we have begun to make arrangements.

We are making plans and organizing meals and are about to open registration for a Spiritual Rejuvenation Shabbaton Weekend with Kirtan Rabbi and Friends.  It is being planned for a wonderful weekend during Hanukkah (on Christmas Eve – forget the Chinese Food), and a very important time in the Jewish year. 

I will soon be updating this blog, Facebook, and a whole new webpage dedicated to the weekend as plans fall into place. Stay tuned for rates, information, meal plans, activities, and speakers!

Daniel and Josh's Wedding

We were happy that Daniel and Josh chose Hidden Valley Retreat as their wedding venue. Dan and Josh chose to extend their Weekend Wedding to a 5 day wedding extravaganza, giving them the maximum amount of time to spend with friends and family. We were happy to offer them private and exclusive use of our property so that they could focus on each other and their loved ones.

So Cute!

Ceremony on the Deck

Dan and Josh were the first couple to have their ceremony on our deck overlooking the valley. We've always recommended this spot for a unique ceremony location, and they were the first to do it. They were able to comfortably seat 90. 

Reception in the Event Center

They held their reception in the Event Center, which was beautifully decorated. Each guest received a crown or tiara to take photobooth style pictures with. (more photos to come)

Family Photo!

We wish Dan and Josh all the best and a lifetime of happy marriage! Congratulations!

Clickery Photography Wedding!

Our good friends and associates, Katie and Zack of Clickery photography were wed on May 10th, 2011. We have had a great relationship with them since we met at our bridal fair, and chose them as our preferred photography vendor. Katie and Zack are an extraordinary couple that own their business, and they photograph as a team. 

You can imagine our joy when K and Z told us they wanted to use us as their wedding venue. Out of all the venues they've shot at, they chose us! We were honored to have them, of course.

All of that excitement was recently revived after we received a disc in the mail of all of their beautiful photos! Unfortunately, the talented team couldn't shoot their own photos, but they sure had an entourage of photographer friends to do it for them! Because Katie and Zack were so familiar with the property already, they knew all of the best locations (even secret spots) to take pictures together. 

Here are a few of our favorite photos, you can view their whole album on our Facebook. 

On the terraces, we love the balloons!

The ceremony was held at Hippocrates Circle.

We love this bench!

K&Z fancied up our fence leading to Hippocrates circle.

Reception in the Event Center.

We LOVE this photo, so funny!

We highly recommend Clickery Photography for any wedding! Because they are a team, it is like getting two for the price of one! While Katie is in the Mountain View Suite capturing every moment of the bride getting beautiful, Zack can be clicking the groomsmen getting ready and goofing around in the Barn House. You get the eyes of not one, but two talented photographers. And now with the experience of getting married at our venue, we can give our full guarantee that your Hidden Valley wedding pictures will be better-than-perfect if you choose to use this dynamic duo.

Clickery Photography can be found here. 

The New Barn House

These last two weeks were dedicated to renovating The Barn House. Our devoted Hidden Valley renovation team conquered this project. We targeted the Ranch Hand Room and the Rawhide room.

New Signs to label the bedrooms

We started by installing fans in all the bedrooms, because we have been having some hot summer days. Now the barn house guests can relax indoors with cool breezes rolling throughout the house!

We painted The Ranch Hand room a beautiful calm blue, and added matching throw pillows. The Rawhide room also received a fresh coat of sage green paint. We found some great original oil paintings and framed them, so each room has its own original piece of art! Each bedroom got new furniture, and all new lamps and light fixtures. All of the windows received a new window treatment, with funky curtains to match each theme. We also framed some great horse photos for the palomino room (we just love themed bedrooms)!

The new and improved Ranch Hand Room

We also added a few new beds, with all new comforters. Now the rooms are soft and cozy with their new bedspreads and fun decor! With our new bed configuration, the Barn House can hold up to 14 people. Each room now has a queen or king bed to hold couples. 

In the Ranch Hand Room, we turned an oil lamp into an electric lamp with a bulb. We will post on how to make your own on our next blog!

The Palomino Room (Left) and Rawhide Room (Right)

The Barn isn't for the animals anymore! It still has all the barn charm with the comforts of home inside.

Secluded Sites Make for Successful Meetings

June's issue of Meetings Focus West is one geared towards eco-friendly meetings and secluded retreats. Companies are looking for retreats and getaways that allow a full focus on their meeting's agenda. They are now meeting at places that offer peaceful powwows without the distraction of other vacationers and professionals that you would typically find at a hotel or convention. This goes to show that larger companies are focusing on their own environmental impacts, and they are finally doing something about it. Whether it is starting a recycling program at the office, or planning office getaways at an environmentally-friendly venue, companies are really making the effort to reduce their carbon footprint. We are very excited about two of Meetings Focus West's feature articles that highlight the importance of green venues and nature-surrounded retreats.


The first article, "Going Wild," emphasizes non-traditional meeting sites. The article states, "Groups can experience green in the truest sense of the word by taking advantage of parks and conservation areas all across the West." 


The second article, "Hideaway Havens," promotes intimacy of a place that allow groups to focus on their meetings rather than be disturbed by outside distractions.

One of our many green meeting spaces

We are happy that green venues are gaining popularity, and we hope that Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa will continue to be recognized as a nature-loving distraction-free venue for any company's needs. Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa commits to carrying on the practices of Dr. Jensen, who owned the property for 60 years and ran it as a world-renowned holistic health ranch.To read about Hidden Valley Retreat and all of our green practices, click here.






Marlene Goldman. "Going Wild." Meetings Focus West.  
Laura Del Rosso. "Hideaway Havens." Meetings Focus West.

Wedding and Event Insurance

We require groups to have insurance when they rent The Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa. Some people ask why we require it, and what the benefits are of having it. We especially recommend event insurance to brides having their wedding at our retreat. We found a great article in The Knot today that describes perfectly the benefits and necessity of having event insurance, whether it is for a wedding or retreat.

Wedding Planning: Wedding Insurance 101

--Julie Kormorn

Though you might not want to think about it, disasters can strike your wedding day. From a sudden cancellation to stolen gifts to a damaged gown, wedding insurance can help protect you against the unforseen, and can also afford you great peace of mind. But what exactly is wedding insurance -- and how does it work? Here's the inside scoop.

What Is Wedding Insurance?

Basically, wedding insurance protects a couple's investment from circumstances beyond their control, and reimburses expenses incurred. For example, what if your limo driver doesn't show up and you have to book another one the morning of the wedding -- for three times the price? Or what if the groom's custom-made tuxedo is lost in airport baggage, and he has to buy a new one the day before the wedding? What if your reception space goes out of business a month before the wedding, and you lose your deposit and have to book another space? These are the types of big-day financial losses that wedding insurance can help to protect.

How Much Does Wedding Insurance Cost?

A basic insurance policy that covers loss of photos, videos, attire, presents, rings, and deposits usually costs anywhere between $155 and $550, depending on the amount of coverage you want. General liability insurance, which covers up to $1,000,000 for accidents, costs around $185.

Do You Really Need Wedding Insurance?

Before you buy wedding insurance, check with your each of your vendors to see how well they're covered -- your reception site or your caterer may already have their own insurance, so you wouldn't want to pay for overlapping coverage out of your own pocket. Ask your vendors for a copy of their policy, and then figure out where you aren't fully covered.

When Should You Get Wedding Insurance?

The sooner the better. Let's say you put a deposit on your wedding reception hall 12 months prior to your wedding date and then it burns to the ground a few weeks before the big day. With wedding insurance, you'll be sure to get your deposit back. But note: most insurance companies have limitations on how far in advance you can purchase insurance.

What Does Wedding Insurance Cover?

Problems with the site, weather, vendors, key people, sickness, or injury are the top concerns come wedding day. There is usually a specified maximum amount, which can be claimed under each section, and a deductible also applies. Be sure to find out the details of your insurance plan.

•          Site: Check to see if your ceremony and reception site is already insured. If it's not, wedding insurance can cover the cost arising out of unavoidable cancellation (such as damage or inaccessibility to the ceremony site), if your reception hall is unable to honor your reservation because it has burned in a fire, experienced an electrical outage, or just plain closed down. Sometimes this policy covers the rehearsal dinner site, too.
•         Weather: Any weather conditions which prevent the bride, groom, any relative whose presence at the wedding is essential, or the majority of the guests from reaching the premises where the wedding is to take place. Insurance covers rescheduling the wedding and all the details involved -- such as ceremony flowers, tent rental, and reception food.
•          Vendor No-show: What if essential wedding people -- the caterer or the officiant, for example -- fail to show up? A wedding insurance policy usually covers cancellation or postponement of the wedding for these reasons.
•           Sickness or Injury: Wedding insurance may also include sickness or injury to the bride, groom, or anyone essential to the wedding.
•          Military or Job: It's true, military personnel may be shipped out at a moment's notice. Wedding insurance can cover postponement of the wedding due to the bride or groom suddenly getting called to military duty. This can also apply to a last-minute corporate move -- i.e. the bride's company suddenly relocates her to another city.

Things to Consider

Every insurance policy and every wedding scenario is different. Be sure to talk to your insurance agent -- and have him or her explain the nuts and bolts to you. You want to make sure you and your sweetie understand every detail of your policy.

CLICK HERE to see the whole article

So think of event insurance as more of a necessity than a requirement. We are asking you to secure your event so you feel protected against any mishaps. You can find an easy online event insurance option at http://theeventhelper.com/.