Changes on the Local Horizon

Almost nineteen years ago, soon after I moved to Louisville, I realized I needed to find a small local store or two where I could buy the best produce and meats, regardless of the price. I wanted breakfast at my inn to be of the finest quality I could afford.

I was making a lot of items from scratch, like muffins and granola, but I also wanted waffles and pancakes that tasted amazing. I found that with Carbon Waffle Mix, a wholesale company in Michigan, I could order cases of their wonderful malted waffle and pancake mix and serve quality waffles and pancakes that all my guests would rave about.

Eventually I found four local markets I loved: Pauls Fruit and Vegetable Market, Burgers Fruit and Vegetable and meat market, KingsleyMeat Market, and a wonderful Flower, Seed, and Gardening Market. For the past eighteen years, I have been shopping faithfully at all four. Regretfully, two of them are closing this year.

Burgers, in the Cherokee Triangle, opened in 1958 and has been a fixture here in Louisville all that time. I

found them when I was looking for a place to buy a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner. They had the most wonderful meat counter with amazing butchers, skilled and friendly. I was so disappointed when I heard they were closing, but the saving grace is that their main butcher, Jeff Burger Jr. will be opening up a meat counter at Paul’s  Fruit Market in Middletown. Now I’ll still be able to get a fabulous standing rib roast for Christmas.

 The other store-closing is Bunton’s Seed Co.,

where I’ve bought flowers, grass seed, fertilizeRs and even garden tools and gloves for the past eighteen years. I will really miss them. They were a wonderful resource of information on lawns and gardens. As the song goes: Nothing Stays The Same and, as we know, "tempest fugit" (time marches on).


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Are You ready for Romance?

It’s that time again. The time when many of us start thinking about what to do on Valentine’s day for that very special person in our lives. We’ve done the flowers and chocolates, bought his or her favorite thing and taken them out to dinner. If you’ve run out of options, we have a great suggestion for you.

Why not spend the night or the week-end in a beautiful bed and breakfast in historic  Louisville, Kentucky? Our inns are welcoming, with distinct atmosphere and amenities, and delicious gourmet breakfasts. Our innkeepers know what makes their guests happy and comfortable. Great attention to detail is given when furnishing and decorating their guest rooms.

Belgian Waffle

Scrambled eggs

Each and every one is focused on making your morning breakfast a delight. You won’t be disappointed when you sample the delicious Belgium waffles, pancakes, or French toast prepared in ways that might include fresh fruit, tantalizing sauces, and authentic maple or other flavored syrups. If you prefer, our innkeepers, many of whom are chefs, can prepare astonishing omelets, and other vegetable and egg dishes, accompanied with Kentucky ham, sausage, or bacon.  Muffins, scones, home-made granolas, and other individual specialties of a particular inn may also part of your morning meal.  And don’t forget the fresh ground, gourmet coffees…Europeans blends, French Roasts, Columbian, Hawaiian, Jamaican, etc.

 
In addition, our innkeepers will help you find interesting things to see and do in the city and
nearby. Louisville has amazing local restaurants with every kind of cuisine you can think of. And our museums, theaters, and cultural attractions are first class. Not to mention world famous Churchill Downs which hosts the Kentucky Derby drawing thousands of international guests.
You won’t regret choosing our bed and breakfasts and our wonderful city to delight that special someone. I can guarantee it will be a visit you will not easily forget.
 
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Vegan breakfast

I still have my week-end with the Vegans running around in my head. They stayed with me (in the bed and breakfast) for four days, along with several diabetics who were here for the Civil Air Patrol Conference. They were not all in the same room, of course. In fact they didn't know each other until they started eating breakfast together.

Anyhow, my problem was how to find a way to accommodate they dietary needs in an efficient manner. One obvious solution is to feed them at different times...which, as it turned out, worked for the first couple of days. The diabetics wanted an early (7:00 am) continental breakfast 'cause they had early morning meetings at the conference. The Vegans wanted to eat at 9:00 ...they were here for a little R&R.

And so, the diabetics were easy...just avoid real sugary things, they said. I could do that. Not the Vegans, that's another story. These people were not Vegetarians, which aren't too hard to cook for, they are Vegans and there is a big difference. Besides not eating meat or fish or fowl, they do not eat eggs, milk products (butter, cheese, and yogurt) or honey. But they do eat a lot of tofu. And vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and grains.

So, I hopped on the internet to review the Vegan diet and a few of their recipes. Then I decided to just make up my own. First thing to do was to run to the store and get a couple of essential Vegan items: a brick of firm Tofu, Almond milk (I could have also used Rice milk), Soy Yogurt, and Vegan butter spread made from I don't know what. It's on the package down in the kitchen. I don't think I even read the list of ingredients, but I trusted that it would be okay as it was a brand that my Vegan guests used themselves.

When I got home, I drained the brick of Tofu by pressing it in between two very heavy cutting boards for 20 minutes. Then, I cut the brick in half. I would use half the first day and half the third day. Vegan pancakes would be served on the second day and Vegan French Toast on the fourth day.

Curried Tofu with spinach and  tomato

For their first breakfast, I sauteed sliced mushrooms in olive oil with fresh garlic the way Julia Childs suggests: "...very hot oil...flame high...spread mushrooms out flat in pan and saute both side until brown. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper while cooking." Done!  Next, I added chopped onion, green pepper, and ribbons of fresh Basel from my herb garden and continued to saute...loving every minute of it I might add. You have to love cooking to own a B&B. Or have a partner or employee who does.

The final step was to add the Tofu. I crumbled it into the pan and continued cooking. if you add Tumeric to the pan (a yellow spice) the Tofu would look just like scrambled eggs. I didn't have any and wasn't about to go out and buy some. It's expensive and I probably would have another Vegan guest for a year.

For their first  breakfast, I scrambled the Tofu, but for the one on the third day I cubed it and added Spinach, Tomatoes, and Curry.  I served it with rounds of sweet potato baked in brown sugar, Vegan butter, and cinnamon. For fruit, I sliced fresh peaches into footed dessert dishes and tossed in some dried cranberries. Then poured a warm clear simple syrup over the top to mingle the flavors. It was delicious and they loved it


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New Year's resolutions don't have to cost an arm and a leg

Stick to your New Year’s resolutions without a pricey gym membership, fancy equipment, expensive classes or other budget-busters. Rest assured, you can stand pat in your resolutions throughout the year without spending a bundle. Here are the most popular New Years resolutions, along with tips on following them when you’re on a tight budget.


Exercise more: Instead of buying an expensive gym membership, put on a pair of sneakers and walk! Walk in the park, walk in town, walk in the city. Borrow a neighbor's dog and walk. Park your car at the far edge of the parking lot and walk. Forgo the elevator and walk the stairs. If you think about it, you’ll find lots of ways to work more walking into your day.
Eat healthy foods: Pursuing a healthy eating program can easily bring down your food costs because healthy eating starts with fresh produce and basic ingredients that don’t cost a lot. See Healthy Eating, for Less for tips, hints and ideas for healthy eating for the budget-minded.
Stop smoking: Instead of expensive medical programs, hypnosis and/or nicotine patches, check out the many free programs and websites that can help you kick the habit. Start with the Centers for Disease Control How to Quit Smoking page: www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit
Take up a hobby or learn a craft: You don’t necessarily need to invest money in materials, books and classes to take up a hobby—why don’t you revisit a pastime that you used to love? Go on and find those knitting needles, or retrieve the roller blades from the back of the closet, or dust off the stamp collection. You just might fall in love again.
Read more: Instead of breaking the bank at the bookstore, visit your local library and check out a new book every week. Most libraries also have magazines for perusing, along with computers with fast internet connections and lots of helpful advice for finding what you need online.
Learn something new: There’s no need to enroll in expensive college classes if you are looking to expand your horizons and learn something new. Look into “auditing” a class at your local university or community college. Many schools will allow you to sit in on classes (and participate!) without paying tuition (and without earning credits—but you just want to learn, right?). You can also inquire at your local library, community center or book store about free or low-cost classes or reading groups covering a huge variety of topics.
Take a vacation: Instead of flying or driving to faraway destinations and spending your hard-earned money on a motel and meals out, take a “staycation.” Stay at home during your time off, but make a commitment to sightsee, visit museums and generally get to know your hometown all over again.

 *Visit a Louisville bed and breakfast We are not far from Indianapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St Louis. Although a little longer drive, it's easy to get here from Nashville and Georgia. And, of course Kentuckians, for the most part, have an doable week-end getaway spot to come to. The bed and breakfasts all have Valentine's Packages to satisfy your romantic mood. Do come and visit us, but call ahead.


And of course, there are lots of popular resolutions that don’t cost a cent to begin with. You don’t need a lot of money to pursue these resolutions:

• Cook more

• Get organized

• Spend more time with family and friends

• Help others or volunteer


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