Tag: B&B

Quarterversary – the 3 Month Anniversary Gift List

I love my brides. You all know that I do. Grooms are pretty ok, too.

And they’re always saying, once the wedding ceremony’s done and they’re heading back home, “We’re definitely coming back for our anniversary!” I’ve taken to responding, “You don’t have to wait a year. You can come back on your 3-month anniversary.”

Today, Mary (who keeps my own house neat and tidy, and calls herself my Mary Maid), suggested folks celebrate their quarterly anniversary. Brilliant! And it even has a word: it’s a Quarterversary.

So, y’all know my life is filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and zany stuff. There are lists of “appropriate” and “traditional” wedding gifts for wedding anniversaries. But none exist for the quarterversary! I felt duty-bound to create such a list, as I am, after all, the Wedding Fairygodmother.

Without further ado, then, I present to you, the Quarterversary Gift List (Traditional)

Year	Anniversary Gift	Quarter	Quarterversary Gift
		1st	Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
		2nd	Ditto
		3rd	2nd Honeymoon (at Timberwolf Creek)
1st	Paper	4th	Paper… gift certificate for Timberwolf Creek – surprise!
		5th	Girlfriend Getaway to Timberwolf Creek
		6th	Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
		7th	Guys Golf & Fishing Getaway at Timberwolf Creek
2nd	Cotton	8th	Cotton… Timberwolf Creek bathrobes
		9th	Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
		10th	Lords a leapin’ (sorry, couldn’t resist)
		11th	11 ounce handcrafted Timberwolf Creek mugs
3rd	Leather	12th	Leather… new suitcase – to take, guess where!
		13th	Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
		14th	Special Dinner Out -to plan your next Maggie Valley getaway
		15th	Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
4th	Linen, silk	16th	Linen or silk… pajamas… for your trip… to Timberwolf Creek
		17th	Do something extra special for the babysitter/dogsitter…
		18th	Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
		19th	Time to sit down and plan the Big Trip – to renew your vows!
5th	Wood	20th	Wood… picture frame… for your 5th Anniverary portrait
			taken, naturally, at Timberwolf Creek -where else?

July 30, 2012

Horses in the pasture come to greet me

The air is fresh and cool after a good rain. The only sound is coming from the creek. It’s hard to describe how serene it is. You have to just see it for yourself. —Larry

July 13, 2012
Buttermilk Pancakes – light as air and lots tastier

Buttermilk Pancakes – light as air and lots tastier

The whole entire secret to making good pancakes -really excellent pancakes- is eggs. You can use a recipe, you can use a mix. But if you use a mix, you have to ignore the part where it doesn’t call for eggs. Separate a couple of eggs, and beat the egg whites – you want them pretty stiff, like a meringue. I sprinkle in a bit of sugar toward the end because I’m impatient and it makes them peak faster. (‘Peak’ as in, when you lift the beater out of the egg whites, it leaves a nice peak.) Now, set these aside and mix up your regular pancake batter, and fold in that meringue. I’ve used lots of recipes, but none of them make better tasting pancakes than Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix. Now, I do add Mexican vanilla and the eggs to that mix. If you’re a purist who wants a recipe, here’s mine: 2 eggs, 3 C flour, 2 T baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 T sugar, 1 T brown sugar, 2 C buttermilk, 1 T Mexican vanilla, plus whole milk as necessary. Whip egg whites, adding 1 T sugar to help them hold their peaks. Set aside. Mix everything else, including egg yolks. Add milk in small amounts until you have the consistency of very heavy paint. And then fold in the egg whites. They don’t need to be blended in completely. Cook on a preheated 350 griddle.

The reason for the first tablespoon of sugar is to make the meringue. The second is to sweeten the batter. The brown sugar adds depth. The meringue makes the pancakes say, “Poof!” when they hit the griddle, and puffs them up light as air, while the sugars combine to make them brown so prettily.

The reason for the Mexican vanilla is two-fold. First, it’s really good vanilla. The second is that, when I’m out of vanilla, Larry has to take me back to Mexico. If you are tempted, now, to tell Larry where I can find Mexican vanilla closer to home, I’m going to have to do something about you. So… don’t… Ok?

If you just really don’t like to cook, that’s ok. I’ve got this one. Come on down, and I’ll make you up a mess o’ pancakes.

…

June 23, 2012
Daffodils, Lilacs and Hostas – Oh My!

It must be April! The daffodils have already been blooming like mad in an early spring frenzy. The one pictured here is a late-comer (if you can imagine a daffodil being late on the first of April. But isn’t he a beauty, all white and dapper with his pale yellow collar…

His name is actually Loth Lorien, which is ‘the fairest forest of the realm’ in JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, and is not only home to the Elves, but a place where time stands still… and that’s pretty much what happened to me when I spotted these this morning – I just froze and stared at them for I don’t know how long.

Ah, Spring time…

And the Hostas are coming out nicely, down by the creek – looks like they’ll be enormous this year. Scott came and split the beauties growing at the Cottage and put them all around the property. This one is called American Sweetheart Hosta, and it is a particular favorite of mine. The American Sweethearts and Patriots (similar colors but in reverse, with creamy white margins around a deep green center) are heirloom plants, put here by Colonel ‘Pug’ Pugmire when he built the Creek House in the 60s. We’ve tended and split and shared many of this one’s offspring.

Even the lilacs are putting on an early show for us this year. I did take pictures of the ones already blooming (after pressing my face deep into the middle of them and inhaling their intoxicating fragrance. Not like I couldn’t smell them from further away, but I could, so I did. What luxury! Bliss! -wait a second, what was I saying?) Oh yes. I did take pictures of the full blooms, but this one with the buds just seemed to show the promise of spring better than any of the others, so presented here, for your pleasure… Lilacs in bud:

The lilac is actually another of Pug’s legacies. The one he planted is way down the creek bank, and stays in full shade. It continued to grow, of course, but didn’t reach the sun until I’d been here a full dozen years – I was stunned to come out one morning to the heady scent of lilac and wondered, ‘What in the world?’ Looking far up into the tip-top (about ten feet!) there was a single bloom, and the breeze sent the fragrance sailing. It was downright magical. But everything here is, you know. No big surprise there. It started putting out little shoots that year, and I transplanted two to the roadside beds, where they’d have the afternoon sun. This is only the second year for lilacs out there, and this photo is one of dozens of blooms on that bush! I’m pretty happy about that.

Now, anybody who knows me knows that I am mad for Lilies. Day lilies. Oriental lilies. Asiatic lilies. Tiger lilies. Turk’s Cap and Trumpet lilies and Easter lilies. I love the lilies. All this wonderful stuff in spring is, for me, just the forerunner of summer when the lilies arrive. The day lilies are far earlier, of course, and I have different varieties that bloom from late spring right through the end of summer, but the others – the true lilies – don’t start until late June and continue through August. I was astonished to find that I they are up and out of the ground and growing like crazy!

Stargazer and Casablanca Lilies, already growing in April!

It was a spectacular spring day,
as I wandered with the camera trying to capture bits and pieces to remember…
Here’s the creek – my little bit of paradise.
You can see that even the Rhodies are planning to make a grand entrance,
since they are already budding.
So glad to be able to share this place with all our wonderful guests.

Springtime at Timberwolf Creek

Wishing you all a wonderful spring, and hope to see you here soonly!

~

April 3, 2012
s’More Apples

Ok, so I bought the teeny tiny itty-bitty micro mini squishy marshmallows to make scones. Because I was buying raspberry chocolate chips for scones, and lemon drops for scones, and cinnamon bits for scones, and I already had milk chocolate chips and graham crackers at home… so when I spotted the teeny tiny itty-bitty micro mini squishy marshmallows, I thought, “Aha! S’more scones!”

But this morning wasn’t about scones. We were having Cherry Chapelure (my version of oven French toast) with a pecan praline topping, and I had these lovely apples for the fruit course. I really (really) didn’t want to make baked stuffed apples. And the t.t.i-b.m.m.sq. marshmallows were just sitting there… trying to look all innocent… temptation in the making… irresistible…

So, I peeled, cored and sliced the apples. This next step will revolutionize your morning, if you haven’t figured it out already: put the apple slices in a bowl with a healthy splash of orange juice (toss ’em around in it). The OJ will keep them from browning. Now cover and steam them in the microwave until they are just tender. They get a head start on cooking, and it helps them keep their shape.

I sprayed ramekins and layered the apple slices with a sprinkling of t.t.i-b.m.m.sq. marshmallows. Not too many. Just enough to make the apples say ahhh. Then I put graham crackers and vanilla wafers into a big baggie, sealed it shut, and rolled them just like a pastry with my rolling pin, until I had nice coarse crumbs. Added just a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves to the baggie, shook it up, and topped my apples. Then I melted way too much butter and drizzled it over the top. Off it went into the oven to bake with the Chapelure and sausage patties, and voila – breakfast.

This was all packed into the breakfast basket along with cinnamon-vanilla syrup, maple syrup, orange juice, and everything they needed to make a picnic breakfast happen, covered in pretty linens, flowers tied to the basket, and delivered to the cottage door.

And voila. S’more Apples. A new addition to my breakfast repertoire, for sure!

March 26, 2012
Just a plain breakfast, please

After a request for a ‘plain’ breakfast, and a bit of discussion, guests have had a breakfast basket delivered daily with ‘plain’ food. Today’s was a pretty crystal tray of fresh cut fruit (nectarines, kiwi, and grapes) with no dressing or yogurt or sauce, per request. Frittatas made with eggs and ham, potatoes, peppers, onions and herbs (and a little cheddar because I can’t help myself). Cheese grits, by request, and yes there’s a little jalapeno in there because, well, I’m pretty sure there’s a law about that… And some decidedly un-plain cherry scones. I just love this Southern man to pieces – he wants sweet tea at every meal. How precious is that?

We just want a Plain breakfast, please

.

March 11, 2012
Aha, Omigosh, Hit me over the head, B&Bs are the Better Way to Stay!

It’s always a pleasure for me to find the BnBFinder innkeeping newsletter in my Inbox. While reading it this morning, I found myself nodding and saying, “Yes, exactly!”   Mary has captured the essential difference of hotel vs bed and breakfast -not just in amenities, but in how we view our guests. Even upscale hotels, like the one Mary writes about, simply cannot provide the experience of a bed and breakfast… Their focus groups and market research, and determination to “break into our market” with B&B-styled packages, is completely missing the point.   They can’t help it, really. Their focus is corporate and bottom-line, which is of course as it should be. Our focus is on our guests and you just can’t get that at a hotel.

A Note From Mary White       –Mary is the President & Founder of BnBFinder

It was more than an “aha!” moment. It was an “Oh my gosh, hit me over the head, how can they not realize moment” when I once again grappled with the question, “Why do guests not realize how special B&Bs are?”   The moment I’m referring to happened recently when I attended a conference with my husband held in a very nice and well-known hotel chain. To thank him for being an Preferred Guest, they gave us a card upon check-in entitling us to a free bottle of water at no charge (how generous). We needed to replace the small bottle of water in the mini-bar with the card so we wouldn’t be charged. Then, one evening we wanted to have a cup of coffee in the room. As a coffee snob, I don’t like the powdered creamer provided; so, in order to have milk or cream I would have to order room service, pay for the milk, and add a $4.99 delivery fee as well as a 20% gratuity (an additional tip also would be welcomed). These and similar experiences are all accepted in the hotel world and why, when guests try a B&B for the first time, they are blown away by the value not to mention the personalization, service, amenities and more.

This would be a good time to mention the Better Way to Stay campaign, being promoted world-wide. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. B&Bs truly are a better way to stay. And then…. take the time to treat yourself. Come see us. We’ll show you the difference.

~

February 28, 2012
Good Times at PAII

It should come as no surprise that my closest friends are innkeepers. Right now, most of them are at the Innkeeping Conference put on by PAII (Professional Association of Innkeepers International) in Little Rock, Arkansas. They’re posting on facebook, and sending me email, and telling me what I’m missing… as if I didn’t know!

At last year’s PAII convention, in Charleston, I took reams of notes. Everything from wedding contracts to food photography was covered, including all the stuff you expect to see about internet presence and good website design and stain removal and breakfast recipes. There was an astonishing amount of information – far more than I could absorb – and I’ve still only put about 20% into practice. (Isn’t that always the way?) So I really didn’t have an excuse to spend the thousands of dollars it would have cost to attend the conference this year. Cardinal rule: All Expenditures Must Be Justified. And I couldn’t very well justify it as play time, since we just spent the first part of a week in New Orleans with a dozen of us, and then a bunch of us went sailing to the Caribbean. Oh yes, I qualify for the ‘plays well with others’ t-shirt.

Lots of information from the conference is online for me, and we have friends/innkeepers in attendance who are coming to visit us when it’s over, and I’m sure they’ll be bubbling over with insights and new products from the vendor floor. And still… I am sooooooo jealous. I want to hang out with my buds! I want to take reams of notes! I want to try new stuff! I want to… um… sleep on substandard hotel sheets with flat pillows and get up predawn to drink hotel coffee with powdered creamer from a styrofoam cup and hike to the convention floor… no… wait… (Oh baby, B&Bs have spoiled me rotten for the good stuff.)

[SIGH] Ok, that’s the stuff you put up with to go to the conference. But it’s worth it. It is. And next year, I’ll be back at the PAII conference.

That is, unless I can get ten besties onto another cruise ship.

Now: If only we could convince the cruise lines to make a wonderful breakfast…

.

January 25, 2012
Veteran’s Day 11/11/11

A wedding, a re-marriage, a renewal of vows ceremony… Lifelong friendships forged, commitments made, shared laughter and lots of love in the air… This was such a joyful day for all!

November 11, 2011
A little team-building…

I took the wedding fairies to the Disney World EPCOT Food & Wine Festival for a little team-building. Oh, fine, all right, ok, it was an excuse to go be foodies in Florida now that wintry weather has set in. And it was fabulous! Photos and recipes and inspirations to follow. Just a heads up: anything you can serve for dinner can find its way onto a breakfast plate, with just a little bit of creativity. Stay tuned… There’s more to come…

November 8, 2011