Our wintertime here in Southern Arizona may not be like most, yet it still brings a much-needed change of seasons to us desert dwellers. Now, we will cover some plants at night and have a few wood fires to keep things cozy. We will put up some holiday decorations and will bring the outside dog in at night.

Still, if you’re heading our way, you can plan on packing T-shirts and shorts along with warm clothes. Our days still give us sunshine and temperatures in the 60′s and 70′s, and we haven’t needed more than the heat from the oven in the morning to be comfortable in the Great Room.

We spent the better part of this month in Mexico – in a little mountain town called Zirahuen, in the state of Michoacan. The view out our kitchen window was of Lake Zirahuen, and each morning it was a beautiful first thing to behold. Roses were still blooming in the garden outside our rented casita. We visited some of the Day of the Dead festivities, walked the little towns nearby, visited ruins, spent a couple of days in the capital city of Morelia, and did some great shopping.

For the San Blas bed, there is a new bedspread from Patzcuaro, and a cream and red wool jorongo, or serape, that lies in front of the fireplace. The San Carlos/Cozumel suite has a new pillow painted by textile artist Carmen Simon, from Patzcuaro, and a turquoise and white rug with ancient Purhépecha designs.

One of the many new foods we tried was Chilaquiles, tortilla chips cooked in green chile sauce and topped with cheese, all over scrambled eggs. What makes it special is a slightly zippy chile sauce and real Mexican cheese. This is a recipe we will have to serve for breakfast at Mi Gatita. 

Happy holidays and happy new year to you and yours,

Jean and Bentley

……… and, welcome to our new website. Lots of pictures, a place to give you up-to-the-minute news about events in our area, and this page, where we can give our personal perspective on what Mi Gatita and the whole Southern Arizona area may have to offer you.

I’ll start with food. There’s a new El Charro – right here in little old Sahuarita! Just 15 minutes away. El Charro is a local chain of restaurants, the first established in 1922 in downtown Tucson. It is said that they are the oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation, by the same family, in the United States.  We love their green corn tamales and caramel flan.

For each new B&B season, we’ve introduced a few new dishes to our breakfasts. And, now, at the start of our 17th season, we have several really good things that we want to offer you:  an almond and blueberry smoothie, polenta with roasted peppers and cilantro pesto, a fresh pear and fig tart, and apple mesquite biscuits. All are completely unique recipes and all are totally, unbelievably, vegan.

In Tucson, there is a wonderful new museum: the Mini Time Machine Museum. Three huge rooms of antique and modern miniatures as well as imaginative displays straight out of the artists’ fancies. There are hundreds of houses and “room boxes”, some no bigger than a shoebox, some wider than your arm span and taller than your head. All of the landscapes and furnishings and figures were beautifully made by hand, with incredible detail. It is a place for all ages, though children will be especially delighted.

The weather has started to cool, a little. It will be time soon to plant our winter petunias, pansies, and violets, and to pack in a supply of firewood.

We hope you’ll come back our way, or, if you’ve never visited, give us a try. It’s hard to beat  Tucson as a winter respite from the cold, and Mi Gatita is a cozy respite from the clatter and  crowds of city life.

We hope to see you soon,

Jean and Bentley