Lest you think that we innkeepers only know how to make breakfast foods...

Cincinnati Chili

1 T. vegetable oil                                                                  pinch of red pepper

2 pounds lean ground beef                                                 ½ oz. unsweetened chocolate

½ cup chopped onion                                                         ¼ c. chili powder

1 tsp cumin                                                                           1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice                                                                        ¼ tsp cloves

4 cups beef broth                                                                 2 T. cider vinegar

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce                                                 1 bay leaf

Cook beef and onion in oil in deep skillet. Drain and transfer to large pot. Add chocolate, spices, broth, tomato sauce, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1/12 hours, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate overnight (it's much better the next day anyway). Next day, remove bay leaf and heat gently over medium heat. Serve over pasta and top with cheese, onion and sour cream. Makes enough to cover 1 pound of pasta. 

Oh, Sheet!

Joey again...last week, I explained the importance of folding all the towels just right so they fit on the shelf (hey, that elf has got nothing on me!) So, this week, I thought I'd move on to sheets. Most of the beds in the inn are queen sized. The Outback Cottage has a king-sized bed.

Regardless of the size, we have some really NICE sheets! Folding sheets is an acquired skill. The folding of the fitted sheet is very important. The fitted sheet then gets matched with its flat sheet and they're placed on the shelf in a nice, neat stack - all ready for taking to the guest rooms and putting on the beds.  One of our time-saving tips - the sheets for the king bed are either gold or chocolate brown so that they can found easily.

Pillow cases are ironed. Why? This is one of the little, unexpected 'extras' at our inn. We have certain parameters in between which everything must fall. Everything that the guest experiences must be just a little more special than what they might have for themselves at home (not many people iron their own pillow cases) but not TOO far out there that anyone feels intimidated (think of that really frilly hand towel that you see at Bed, Bath and Beyond that you think is pretty, but won't buy because if you did, you'd be afraid to use it).

So, after all the ironing and folding is done, and it's all placed neatly on the shelf, it's time to move on to other chores.

Mountains of Towels!!

Hi! It's Joey again. Today I'm helping Lynne fold towels. It's Monday, so there is lots and lots (and LOTS) of laundry!

The 'fold' is very important. There's a lot to think about. Separate types of towels - hand towels, bath sheets, spa towels, washcloths, makeup washcloths and bath mats. Each of these things has a specific area where it has to go on the shelf. If it's not folded properly, it won't fit on the shelves and it's not fun having to run all around the inn looking for things when they're not where they should be!

Now, this shelf might not look too organized, but in this space, everything has it's place! In this picture, I'm sitting in the basket that holds the washcloths and the bathrobe ties. These items go in a basket because they tend to get too messy sitting on the shelf outside of the basket.

Our innsitter, Anne of Two Hearts Innsitting is very impressed with our linen storage!

Next week...sheets!

Paint is Cheap; Labor is Cheaper

I must admit that I sort of 'borrowed' the title of this post from those folks at Habitat For Humanity in South Florida. When Bob and I were in ministry there, our youth group volunteered faithfully at the local HFH. They usually ended up being the roofing crew. The supervisors, in order to get the kids to use enough nails, would tell them, "Nails are cheap and labor is cheaper." Obviously the nails were donated and well, we were working for free.

So, as it is, when you own a bed & breakfast in Lancaster County, PA, you go thru A LOT of paint. I once sat down and calculated that in the 5 years we've been here, I've painted well over 50 walls; and that's a conservative estimate. I've gotten fairly adept at using a paint brush and making things look nice.


We had an apple tree right outside of our back door. It was pretty to look at, especially in the spring when it would bloom. Unfortunately the apples clogged the gutter, which the overflowed onto the porch railings, rotting them. Bob replaced them yesterday with new trim and caulk. Well, of course the whole thing had to be painted. The yellow was looking a a bit tired anyway. Here's what we ended up with: 

I painted it to look like the railings that go around the front porch. As I was brushing along, I got to thinking about what makes a good paint job. 

1. Prep work! You can't paint a surface (and expect it to turn out well) if it's dirty or peeling. And, as my father would say, "If you don't have time to do it right, then you sure don't have time to do it over."
2. Take your time. Make sure you have plenty of it! I've been involved in painting projects over the course of several hours in which time I'll change my clothes 3 or 4 times while greeting guests. If you're going to be away from your project for an extended period of time, put your brush in a plastic bag. Try to rush and you'll just make mistakes. 
3. Get yourself a good brush/roller. Yes, they can be pricey, but if you clean them well they should last you for several projects. Which brings me to my last point:
4. Clean up thoroughly. Rinse, rinse, rinse! 

Painting something is probably the easiest, least expensive way to change and/or improve the look of a space.

 

Local Food

Today, I went shopping. Food shopping, or grocery shopping as we called it where I grew up. I remember in Louisville, they would say, "going to the grocery", which I thought was an incomplete sentence. Anyway, grocery shopping is not an unusual chore for an innkeeper, so why am I blogging about it? It's where I went shopping that's the unique part.

BB's is a locally owned, Amish-operated grocery store. They're not open on Sundays, nor do they accept credit cards. To say that they have an 'internet presence' is a gross overstatement. There is a substantial 'hitching post' where the buggies park separate from the parking lot. There are no electric lights in the store. Today was cloudy, so browsing the aisles wasn't the blinding fluorescent experience like you get when you go into Target. You have to literally walk into the refrigerated and freezer sections through a 'door' made from thick pieces of  plastic that sort of remind you of vertical window blinds. Oh, don't worry, if you forgot your jacket there are several hanging on the pegs outside the cooler area that you can borrow.

BB's is the epitome of "Think Local". Fruits and vegetables from local farms, eggs, milk and cheese from nearby dairies and meats from neighboring smokehouses are all available at BB's. Yes, they have soups, crackers and cereals in boxes, bags and cans, too. They employ local Amish people to work the registers, bag the groceries, stock the shelves and gather the carts from the parking lot.

This is one of the propane gas lights in the parking lot. Since BB's is open Monday thru Friday till 8pm, I imagine that they actually need to use these in the winter months. I've never been there in the evening.

And THIS is what I bought for about $65. That included: milk, lunch meat, cheese, cereal, crackers, yogurt (4 containers for $1), fresh fruit, bacon ($2.99/lb), several frozen items, brown sugar (91 cents a pound), raisins (two boxes for $1), vinegar, toilet bowl cleaner, body wash, baking items, orange marmalade, tortilla chips, pasta and a few other things that I can't recall at the moment. Had I gone to a large superstore to buy these items, I probably wouldn't have gotten out the door for under $100. So, here's yet another example of how I can enjoy the benefits of keeping my money local and making it stretch further.  

I Get by with a little Help from my Friends!

Looking back on the past 18 months of innkeeping, I can't help but wonder about all the little (and not so little) things that have helped us get where we are. We're #3 on the current Trip Advisor listing for popular B&B's in Lancaster; we're doing pretty well with occupancy while keeping up with some much-needed renovations; reviews also look good on I Love Inns and Bedandbreakfast.com. I usually fall into bed at night quite satisfied with the accomplishments of the day.

Yet there's more to innkeeping than all positive reviews, the improvement projects and the guests. Yes, it's true that I wouldn't be an innkeeper with out an inn or without guests (who wouldn't come if the reviews weren't good). One of the most important 'little things' is my association with other innkeepers - near and far. Just a couple of months after we took over the B&B, we were invited by some neighborly innkeepers to join the local bed and breakfast association. We were already members of PAII, but had learned that Pennsylvania does not have a state association specifically for bed & breakfasts.

I cannot tell you how vaulable the association with these local, fellow innkeepers has been! They're a wonderful group of people. Each has his or her special gifts and talents; each property is unique in its own way; each inn and innkeeper has something valuable to offer. If you were in a room with these people, someone would have to tell you that they were competitors and sometimes I think they forget that they are. The cooperation, for the most part (well, we all have our opinions!), is second to none. In fact, right now we're working on a sort of round-table discussion of sorts to brainstorm ideas for helping each other out given the current economic condidtions, i.e. determining what special skills and talents each of us has that might be of some assistance to another. For instance, we have a tile saw that we purchased last year in anticipation of renovating our bathrooms. Bob is pretty adept at using it. So, we would offer our talents and tools to help someone else out who needs a small repair.

Our association organizes all kinds of opportunities for fellowship and continuing education. We have retreats, dinners and let's not forget our monthly meeting! Any excuse to have potluck! We've developed close friendships with several other innkeepers. As I mentioned previously, we're new to this game and it's only through my association with these other innkeepers that I've learned of some of the other wonderful things that have taken place in the association. There was an innkeeper undergoing treatment for cancer. Well, the others stepped up and provided breakfasts so that the ill innkeeper did not have to close her doors! When one member experienced the death of a close family member, the association sent flowers. Other examples include get well cards; congratulation kudos; and two of our members were even nominated by the rest of the group for awards given out by our local visitor's bureau. There was no one who sulked that they themselves weren't nominated or recognized, but everyone gathered round our awarded fellow members to share in their joy!

So, thank you, Authentic Bed & Breakfasts of Lancaster County! We consider ourselves very fortunate and blessed to be a part of the family!