A Sunset Breakfast at the University of Georgia

I was really surprised yesterday when I received a beautiful commemorative plate with their emblem from the University of Georgia. They had featured my Pumpkin Pancakes at their recent Sunset Breakfast, (October 13, 2011) an annual event. The recipe was adapted to serve 8700 students. They used 1151 lbs of flour! They served the pancakes with Honey Pecan Butter. 'The focus of the event was to give the dining experience of breakfast at a Bed and Breakfast establishment from across the US. The menu featured 21 recipes from prominent Bed and Breakfat locations" (J Michael Floyd, Executive Director).

Commemorative plate from the University of Georgia

Pumpkin Pancakes

Aleksander House Bed and Breakfast

Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp sugar dash of salt 2 tsps baking soda 1 cup milk 2 Tbsps vegetable oil 1 egg 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup sour cream Combine all ingredients. Batter will be lumpy. Spray grill with cooking spray. Bake pancakes on grill using medium heat until bubbles rise to the surface and edges are brown. Turn and bake until golden brown. Serve with Honey-Pecan butter. Serves two. Honey-Pecan Butter 1/2 cup pecans 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup honey Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Chop nuts in food processor or blender. Beat butter and honey together until smooth. Add pecans. Serve with Pumpkin Pancakes. Makes one cup.
1882 Aleksander House Bed & Breakfast Louisville, Kentucky A charming 1882 Victorian bed and breakfast, in the heart of 'Old Louisville' Kentucky	Click here for pictures and information about the inn.
More 1882 Aleksander House Bed & Breakfast Recipes: Grand Marnier French Toast | Sausage-Bake | Four-Cheese Herb Quiche

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Wonderful Fall Salad

I love using fruits and vegetables that are in season to cook with. First of all, they are readily available. They also taste better, and they seem to sit well on the stomach. Fall produces some wonderful fruits that, when added to fresh salad greens and topped with a scrumptious dressing,  make a wonderful light meal or side dish. Apples, pears and dried cranberries are three of my favorites for fall.

Here's an easy  recipe I think you'll enjoy:


Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• Couple of stalks spring green onion sliced thin
• 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
• 1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup poppy seed dressing

Instructions

In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Sprinkle green onion on top. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat. 

Serve with garlic bread or warm croissants.

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The Inkeeper reminisces

This is the very first blog I ever had. Prior to that, I didn't even know what a blog was, much less how to construct and maintain one.  Oh yes, I had heard the word bandied around the internet. But I didn't know anyone who had one except Rosie O Donnell and, soon after that, the author of  Julie and Julia, who kept a blog about cooking from Julia Child's recipes and turned it into a book.

Three years ago, I spent Christmas with my daughter and her S.O. that was before both of them lost their jobs because of the economy...but that's another story. They are both back working again with great careers, she is a licensed professional counselor and he is in marketing, working for a non-profit organization. That Christmas, Jeff was working on a new blog.When I heard that, it piqued my interest and I started asking him questions about blogs and blogging.

In his own imitable way, Jeff proceeded to show me everything he knew about blogs...and that was a lot. After graduating from the Jeff Blogging School and returning back to Louisville, I decided to try blogging myself and thought the best place to start was with a blog about my bed and breakfast. I came up with the title InnNotes and dove right in. I was on the phone night and day with Jeff as I learned how to construct my site on Blogger.

When I finally felt comfortable with posting on a net with potentially thousands of people who could read my writing, I constructed two more sites: one about the hotel industry and the other a site for women where I would post on women's issues,  politics, the arts, and books that I found interesting. The last blog I added after I had written the first draft of my memoir (a work in progress). I hoped for a place to write about writing and to post excerpts from my memoir for feedback.  I' m quite happy with all my blogs. Thery take time and thought to maintain and they always keep me writing. And for a writer...that's imperative.


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Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

                                

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

For Valentine’s day, or any other special event, make these elegant romantic strawberries for someone you love.  

I love chocolate combined with fruit flavors, and especially with strawberry. If you're looking for something special to make for someone you care about, try these delicious little morsels. They look like they are totally work intensive and hard to make but, honestly, they are not.  It will only take you around 10-15 minutes from beginning to end and  the finished product is very impressive.                                             

Ingredients

2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
9 large strawberries with caps or stems
1/4 cup cognac or orange juice
2 tablespoons honey                                                                                                   

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. Heat the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, stirring, until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool slightly. Holding the strawberries by the cap or stem, dip one at a time into the chocolate mixture, coating halfway. Gently place the berries on the lined baking sheet; let coating set.


Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. In a small pan, simmer the cognac and honey until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool briefly, then fold the mixture into the sour cream in a small bowl. When the chocolate is set, arrange the strawberries on a serving plate. (Recipe from Grandma's Kitchen on line)

                                            

Tip: Always prepare strawberries within a couple of hours of serving them because she know that if the dipped berries were refrigerated, the coating would "sweat" and become mushy.   

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Blogging challenge

 Yes it's me, writing about blogging on my bed and breakfast/food/recipe/travel blog. I just thought that my blog needed to be infused with new energy and that this challenge would do the trick. I'm not very good at blogging on a regular schedule. In fact, I don't even have a schedule. I just post whenever I feel like it. And, fortunately, I feel like it most of the time. But sometimes, when life gets in the way, I become a little lax and more than a week or so will go by and I'll suddenly realize that I haven't written to my wonderful followers, and anyone else who might drop by, in a while.

So this is the first post of one new one every week for the next hundred days. I can't promise they will always be on the same day, but I'm gonna try to stick to the once a week thing. The challenge was originated by Julie Isaac, an author and content creation coach, who has a blog at: Blog.Writing Spirit.Com/ She has challenged anyone who blogs to commit to a certain number of posts on their blogs each week for a period of 100 days. The challenge begins today.

I know how much many of you like my articles on food and the recipes I include with a lot of my posts, so I think I will rely heavily on that type of post during the challenge. Of course, if something travelwise or B&B wise comes up, I'll be sure to let you know. Please feel feel to drop by and keep an eye on me to see if I'm living up to my commitment....Thanks, Nancy

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Soups, Chowders, and Stews

Every year, as fall approaches, I start thinking about soups, chowders, and stews. I love all three and there are so many possibilities when it comes to making them at home. One of the things I like most about them is that all three freeze really well. And you know what that means...right? You guessed it...easy lunch and dinner solutions. All you have to do is take a carton of whatever out of the freezer, defrost and heat, pop some garlic bread in the oven, make a salad and you're home free.

Another thing about these dishes, you can really get creative. You can take a basic recipe, like Vegetable soup for example, and create something really unique and delicious, something  you and your whole family will really love. And it may be a solution to throwing away those tomatoes or green peppers that have been accumulating in the frig, wilted and not looking so appetizing anymore but still edible. Just throw them in a pot of hot water with some sliced onions, diced potatoes, and carrots and maybe the rest of that chicken from last night's dinner. Throw that in too. Add some thyme, a bay, leaf, salt, pepper, and a couple of swigs of red wine and Voila! You have a tempting Chicken Vegetable soup for dinner...healthy, delicious, and easy to fix. And don't forget to freeze whatever is left over, or save it in the frig for tomorrow's.

There are so many ways to make any of these three dishes your own by adding the ingredients that you and your family love. You can choose your own vegetables; add rice, pasta, or beans; and a variety of herbs, condiments, and/or spices. Boullion is a good idea; it'll heighten the flavor (but leave out the salt if you use it). And don't forget a little wine (any kind) but be careful about sweet wines...probably dry are better. If you feel more comfortable using a recipe, use a basic one and then add your favorites to it. You can float french bread and cheese on top or croutons, of cheese alone, almost any kind will do. Experiment....that's half the fun of it. Try it on Onion or fresh Tomato soup. Grated Cheddar will also work on many stews.

Chowders are really healthy choices but usually are a little more work intensive. One of my very favorite dishes is Corn Chowder. I have to stay away from seafood chowders because of allergies, but I know they are delicious. And Gumbo, which is similar to a chowder, with rice, okra, and tomatoes is wonderful. I'm not a big fan of okra by it's self but, in Gumbo, it's fine.

And then there are Chilis, both red and white. Here are a couple of recipes I posted at an earlier time: Timothy's White Chili and Chili Con Carne Authentique (from Doctor's Inn Bed and Breakfast, Berea KY). Both are fabulous!





Pureed Soups
Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Pumpkin Soup
Butternut Squash,Cheddar, and Apple Soup
Tomato Soup (and puree)

Healthy warming soups and Stews

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The Challenge to maintain a healthy diet in a fast food society

I would say that about 85% of my diet is very healthy; the rest of it? Well’ I have to have an occasional MacDonalds hamburger, a Chile dog at the State Fair, bacon for breakfast, and a few handfuls of M and M’s...a throw-back from my younger days when I didn’t give a darn and my body didn’t know the difference. But I don’t drink soda or eat food from cans or boxes. And I prefer to do my own cooking...that way I know exactly what I’m eating.

Now that I’m over 50...or 60...or whatever....my body is much more sensitive to what I’m shoveling in it. I’m fortunate enough to have been brought up enjoying lots of fruits and vegetables. I learned along the way to cut back on red meat and starches; although I love potatoes, rice and corn, which are not really bad for you. Pasta, if you can believe it, I can do without.

Let me tell you about me and pasta. I’ve eaten a ton of it in my life, from Spaghetti to Rigatoni, to Lasagna. Had it with tomato sauce, pesto, Alfredo sauce and cheese, as in Mac and Cheese.  Added Parmesan, vegetables, and meat among other things. I ate so much pasta for most of my life that I just got sick of it. I know...amazing declaration. Everybody eats pasta. There are zillions of ways to prepare iteirou can buy it frozen or canned and kids love it. Just about every ethnic group has there own special way of preparing pasta for their cultural dishes. But I don’t like it anymore.

No, my favorite dishes are white chili, chicken fajitas, all kinds of soups and stews, a really good steak and baked potato occasionally, wild salmon with dill, butter, and lemon, a wonderful curry with rice, and sweep potatoes and ham. There are more, of course, but this gives you an idea.
And oh....just about any kind of vegetables on the side except for okra, unless it’s in an authentic gumbo.

Why people limit themselves to pizza, hamburgers and mac and cheese is beyond me. There are so many wonderful things you can do with food.

 
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