Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

3 Eggs, separated
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp lemon extract

In small bowl, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Set aside. In large bowl, beat egg yolks with all other ingredients. Fold in beaten egg whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon onto hot griddle until golden brown.

Yeild 6-8 pancakes.

You'll want to make more! Very popular and they melt in your mouth.

Beer Near Here

I'll bet you didn't know that in the state of Pennsylvania, there are more than 100 breweries, providing some 60,000 jobs. That's not only a huge economic impact, but it provides beer-lovers with a lot of choices. I'll also venture to say that you have no idea which county in Pennsylvania has the most breweries. Well, you can probably guess... Lancaster.

How fortunate for us and our guests! The furthest away is probably  Stoudt's in Adamstown or Union Barrel Works in Reamstown. One of our favorites is more local, Lancaster Brewing Company (I'm partial to the Strawberry Wheat) 

In addition, there's Appalachian Brewing in Lititz; Iron Hill and Spring House (Taproom in Lancaster and Brewing Company in Conestoga);  Bube's in Mount Joy;  Rumspringa Brewing Company in Intercourse; JoBoy's and Swashbuckler Brewing Company in Manheim (at the PA Renaissance Faire) and St. Boniface Craft Brewing in Ephrata .

For beer-lovers, this should keep you occupied for at least a week!

Amish Mud Sales 2013

I went to my first Mud Sale last weekend. It was fascinating. Not just because one could bid on just about anything imaginable - from plants to new or used furniture to household goods, but because of the masses of people there and the way it was organized.

Each item to be auctioned was meticulously tagged. There were several auctions taking simultaneously in separate tents. I love to listen to the auctioneers! I must admit, however, that I'm way too intimidated by the process of the auction to register to bid. I get absolutely no enjoyment from having to out-bid others and spending my hard-earned money while I'm doing it. No thanks.

Then there was the parking. We had to park a considerable distance away because there were so many people. There were Amish boys with wagons who would help people cart their treasures to their vehicles (for a tip, I'm sure).

I was certain that if you really wanted an item that you'd have to be willing to spend a good deal of time waiting around for it to come up for bid. Then, of course, there was no guarantee that you'd even get the item. It seemed to me like an exercise in patience and potential failure. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of time.

Of course, this is Lancaster County, so it wouldn't be a gathering of any sort if there wasn't food to be had. There were several food vendors offering everything from sausage sandwiches to crab cakes and apple pie. I enjoyed watching this guy make French Fries. He could cut through a 20 lb.pound bag of potatoes in nothing flat! And people were gobbling them up just as fast.

Here's a list of the mud sales in and around Lancaster throughout the spring, summer and into the fall of this year. Most are just minutes from the Walkabout Inn.

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. 

Music In the Orchard

July 13, 2013 from 6-8pm, enjoy the music of Spirit Wing and Leticia Joy. According to their website, www.spiritwing.org, Their music comes from a strong folk/acoustic music tradition along with traditional Native songs that date back hundreds of years. All four members of Spirit Wing have performed in various types of bands and ensembles that feature rock, blues, bluegrass and country music.

Pack a picnic, grab your lounge chair! The Hans Herr House is 5 minutes from The Australian Walkabout Inn B&B.

Joey's Rules of the Pool

As far as I know, we're the only B&B in Lancaster to have private indoor hot tubs. Here I am inspecting one after it has been drained, scrubbed clean and refilled. This takes about 2 hours total. What necessitated this laborious chore you might ask. Bubble bath! Yes, we had some guests who mistook our hot tub for an extra large bath tub and added about a half cup of bubble bath!! It did smell pretty nice though.

Nonetheless, the only way to get the bubble bath out of the tub was to throw the water out with it. Wait, haven't I heard that saying somewhere before? Involving a baby, maybe? Ah, yes, but I digress...

I love when the tub is full again and the chemicals, ph and temperature all back to normal. I like to look into the sparkling clean water and think how happy it will make our guests. Most of them are so appreciative of all the hard work we put into making our place a refuge for them. This hot tub is just one example.

If I had to list Rules of the Pool:

1. Please, no bubble bath.
2. Relax
3. Enjoy
4. Repeat

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Casserole

2 C. of Milk (to make lactose-free, substitute soy, almond or rice milk)

¼ c. packed brown sugar

2 T. Butter (or margerine)

½ t. salt

1 C. Old Fashioned Oats

2 t. Cinnamon

1 t. Nutmeg

2 finely chopped apples (skins on or removed)

½ C. raisins (I prefer golden)

½ C. sweetened, dried berries (blueberries, cherries, cranberries, etc.)

½ C. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease medium casserole dish.  Combine milk, brown sugar, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to simmer, cook until butter is melted (don't boil).  Remove from heat. Put oats in casserole.  Stir in milk mixture, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple, nuts and raisins. Stir to moisten well.  Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with milk or cream.