A Haunted Resort in Key West

The Banyan Resort
323 Whitehead Street
Key West, Florida 33040
Phone: (305) 296-7786
Toll Free: (866) 371-9222
http://www.thebanyanresort.com

Winter is in full swing in the Midwest and we're all seeking a little tropical escape. The Banyan Resort in Key Wesy might be just what the doctor ordered... as long as you don't mind a few ethereal guests. The resort is comprised of six historic homes.

One of these, the Cosgrove House, is rumored to have at least one ghost.

Originally Built in 1850, the house was purchased by Captain Phillip Cosgrove in 1871. Cosgrove was a veteran of the Coast Guard and became a bit of a local celebrity in 1898 when he was the first person to arrive at the scene of the sinking U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor: an event which began the Spanish-American War. The two massive banyan trees in the front yard of the property were planted by Phillip's wife, Myrtle in the early 1900s. The house remained in the Cosgrove family until 1947. It became part of The Banyan Guest House complex in the 1980s, offering five one-bedroom suites.

Visitors have reported seeing and hearing the presence of Captain Cosgrove. He seems to be attached to the house which he loved dearly. Another mysterious occurrence has been blamed on "the chocolate ghost". Guests and housekeepers have the chocolates left on pillows in locked rooms missing. A little girl's spirit is believed to be responsible.

Whether we're dead or alive, most of us often have that chocolate craving. Here's a simple recipe for Key Lime Truffles, paying homage to the 'spook with a sweet tooth' in all of us...

Key Lime Truffles

Ganache:
12 ounces white chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp key lime juice
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lime zest

Coating:
12 oz. dark chocolate
2 Tablespoons butter

Melt chocolate and butter. Stir in cream and lime juice. Stir until
smooth. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally to keep smooth and
promote even cooling, maybe one hour or two. Shape into balls by
rolling between hands.

Place on foil lined baking sheet and freeze about 15-20 minutes.
While freezing, melt dark chocolate and butter, stirring
until smooth. Using fork method, dip truffle balls in coating and
place on either foil or waxed paper lined sheets. You can also just
roll the balls in cocoa, powdered sugar, or finely chopped nuts.

An Introduction: A New Beginning For An Old Idea

Hello, and welcome!

Though I've been a blogger for quite some time, having several different blogs over the years, this has been a pet project of mine that has bounced around in my head for what seems to be decades.

My fascination with cooking began nearly as soon as I could reach a stove. I seriously considered culinary school, though once I was confronted with the costs and the fear that cooking would become "work" instead of "pleasure", I decided against it. I still cook on a regular basis and watch Alton Brown's program, "Good Eats", religiously.

Ghost piqued my interests just as early in life. By the age of 16, I went from merely reading stories and researching history to actually visiting haunted landmarks and finding out if the stories were indeed true. Since that time, I have conducted more paranormal investigations than I could possibly count, maintained a website (http://www.moonspenders.com), belonged to dozens of paranormal groups, and written "Haunted Cuyahoga": a small collection of little-known local ghost stories.

This blog combines my two greatest passions: food and spooks!

I will do my best to keep things up-to-date as much as mortally possible. I plan to create new posts at least weekly. Each post will explore a new haunted location, its history, and legends. Along with it, I will include a recipe, either pertaining to the location and haunting or following the same theme.

As I said, this is a new venture for me, so bare with me!