Archive for the ‘Asheville Bed and Breakfast News’ Category
January 1st, 2013 by abedofroses
A large tree fell on our owner’s quarters
The deafeningly loud crash and flash of light that woke us from our sleep in the middle of Christmas night was definitely not Santa and his sleigh landing on the roof! High winds and rain conspired with insects that had done their damage hidden from view to crack a giant pine tree in our neighbor’s yard and hurl it across the alley onto the roof over our bed. Miraculously the power lines behind our owner’s quarters broke the fall so that only a large branch punctured our roof rather than the entire tree trunk. Stunned and groggy from an abbreviated night’s sleep we ventured out into the rain to find out what happened and take stock of the damage. It was almost 5AM by that time and we had a house full of guests to serve breakfast to. So with half the power out we lit candles, figured out what was working and what wasn’t and came up with a plan for breakfast for 8 over the stove that didn’t require the ovens. This was a first- cooking by the light of a flashlight! We managed to pull it off before the power company shut us down completely to remove the tree. Electricians, appliance repair people, insurance adjusters and roofers are still being dealt with, but we’re back in full operation and incredibly grateful to be alive. After a season of things breaking, a sick kitty that has required a months worth of treatment on the heels of Bill’s October hospitalization it would be easy to get overwhelmed and feel like life is just responding to one crisis after another. I must admit I indulged in a bit of self-pity. But this New Year’s Eve we chose to take stock of all of the challenges we did meet and all the things we accomplished this year. We truly have had a great year.
Antique sconces now light up our goodies
Besides meeting the challenges of breakfast under duress the other day and operating the inn with one innkeeper down in October, we’ve met all of our little challenges with success as well. A broken CD player that I put totally out of its misery when it tried to steal my favorite Christmas CDs, pushed us to finally go digital with our sound system for the inn. I had always wanted to find the time to research systems and hook the sound up to our computer, but now I was forced to do it! I couldn’t be happier with our new Sonos system, operating by WiFi to wireless speakers. Business has been up since last year too. December was our busiest yet with lots and lots of people taking advantage of our Biltmore Candlelight Evening Package. This past year I was elected to the Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association Executive Committee (ABBA) as Secretary, a post I’ve been enjoying and have just been re-elected to. After numerous production delays, we finally succeeded in replacing all of our robes at the inn with new, plush hunter green ones. Table and bed linens have been upgraded and we’ve added a “new” antique carpet and comfy chair to the parlor as well as a reproduction Victorian lamp to the foyer. We upgraded the Turret Suite, changing the carpet and adding a Tiffany lamp and 2 antique chairs. We painted and got new wicker furniture for our cozy front porch as well (see our improvements!) We started the year off by lighting up the kitchen! We added several recessed lights to brighten up our work-space and installed the antique sconces that we brought with us from Boston over the antique buffet where we serve afternoon tea and goodies. And we ended the year with a beautiful and incredibly life-like new 9 foot Christmas Tree from Balsam Hill to match the outstanding garlands we got from them last year. We definitely dressed up the inn for the holidays! As we go into the New Year we hired painters come in this week and re-paint all the guest rooms. We just chose new plush carpeting that will then be installed in the Oliver Davis and Carolyn Gray rooms. And then we will take a well-deserved vacation in St. Martin! We look forward to returning rested and so gratefully alive to a freshly painted and improved inn to start the season again. Happy New Year!
Tags: Inn improvements, Innkeeper news, Innkeeper stories, New Year's Blessings, Tree Damages Inn
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News, Inn and Innkeeper Activites, Innkeeper Advice and Musings | Comments Off
August 1st, 2012 by abedofroses
Arrange the peaches decoratively on top of the cheescake.
Two new cookbooks are coming out and a bunch of our recipes are appearing in both! The newest edition of the Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association Cookbook has gone to the printer and the North Carolina Bed & Breakfast and Inns Cookbook should be out the first week in September. Here is a sneak preview from the NCBBI Cookbook. Check our recipe section soon for a preview of the newest ABBA cookbook!
Peach Topped Bavarian Torte
My sister Marianne gave me this recipe in 1972. I had to increase her original recipe to fit current spring form pan sizes. It’s a crowd pleaser. For the B&B I cut it into squares to serve in the afternoons.
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup softened margarine or butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/8 tsp vanilla extract (we used Madagascar)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Cheesecake
- 12 oz (1 1/2 8oz packages) softened cream cheese
- 1 1/2 eggs (not easy to do! I beat the second egg and poured in half)
- 3/8 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Topping
- 29 oz can of sliced cling peaches in juice, well drained
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp sugar
Preparation
- Beat margarine or butter with sugar and vanilla at medium speed until well blended
- Add flour and mix.
- Stir in pecans.
- Flour hands and press mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a spring form pan.
- Beat cream cheese and 3/8 cup sugar at medium speed until smooth
- Beat in egg and vanilla until blended
- Pour into pan
- In large bowl combine cinnamon and sugar. Add peaches and toss lightly
- Arrange on top of cream cheese mixture
- Bake 10 min at 450°
- Reduce heat to 400° and continue baking 25 minutes more
- Cool in pan 20 min, then carefully remove sides
Serve warm or refrigerate
Tags: A Bed of Roses Recipes, B&B Cookbooks, Bavarian Torte, Bed and Breakfast Recipes, Breakfast at a B&B, Breakfast Cookbooks, NCBBI recipes, New Breakfast Recipes, North Carolina Bed & Breakfasts & Inns, Peach cheesecake, Peach Torte
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News, Our Favorite Recipes | Comments Off
June 3rd, 2012 by abedofroses
Flowers at last year's April Tour of Inns
On Saturday June 9th we are welcoming the public into our inn as part of the Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association’s second annual spring tour of inns. Tour goers will have two days, Saturday and Sunday to visit 15 of our historic B&Bs and their gardens. At each inn, an area restaurant will provide samples of Asheville’s renowned local cuisine. A Bed of Roses is partnering with BOCA this year, one of our favorite places to eat. BOCA describes their cuisine as “Modern American with a Latin Flair” – we describe it as delicious!
A part of the proceeds of the tour will go to the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) so the tour this year is really geared toward locally sourced foods prepared by the master chefs of our locally owned and operated restaurants. With gardens in full bloom It should be a treat for all of the senses!
Visitors learn the history of our B&B
We are proud to help support ASAP’s mission of promoting local food, increasing access to fresh healthy food and strengthening community farming.
Last year nearly 200 visitors came on the tour, all curious to see our historic properties up close. We really enjoyed sharing the history of our B&B and giving guests a chance to sample great local food. Asheville residents as well as out of town visitors all enjoyed the day and this tour promises to be even more fun!
Tickets are still available the day of the tour at any participating inn or at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801. They are $30 each or $50 per couple (cash or check only).
For more information visit The Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association’s new website at ashevillebba.com.
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News | Comments Off
August 22nd, 2011 by abedofroses
Life as Innkeepers...Three couples share their stories and delicious gourmet recipes
In July one of our guests revealed herself to be the editor of OutreachNC magazine, Carrie Frye. One of her writers had come up with the idea of publishing an article about baby boomers who have decided to become innkeepers. Carrie asked if she could interview us for the article and we were thrilled. The article came out in their August issue. We were one of three inns featured. All three inns were from different parts of the state and represented different stages and styles of inn ownership. We were the rookies, having only owned A Bed of Roses for a year. One couple opened their inn 11 years ago and currently live off-site. The other couple became innkeepers 4 years ago. I’ve always said, no two B&Bs are alike. That’s one of the things that makes staying at an inn a thousand times more interesting than going to a chain hotel!
Carrie, the editor, was a delightful guest and was quite taken with our cats Nadia and Sasha. She sent us lots of photos that I promise to post! In the her editor’s notebook blog from August 4th, Carrie revealed that she successfully reproduced our Orange Stuffed French Toast recipe! The recipe appears in the article as well as on our blog’s recipe section.
Read the article here, OutreachNC Article. I hope you enjoy it!
Tags: B&B owners featured, baby boomers second careers, french toast recipe, Innkeeper stories, NC innkeepers, OutreachNC magazine
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News | Comments Off
July 21st, 2011 by abedofroses
A Polenta Egg Nest with Mango Blueberry Fruit Salad
We tried a new recipe the other day and it was a big success! It involves making the polenta at least one day ahead, but it was worth it. The little secret is the hidden applewood- smoked bacon lining the nests. It gives a smokey flavor to the whole dish.
Ingredients:
Polenta-
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1/4 cup minced scallions
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup of course yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
• 1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced
Eggs-
• 20 slices of bacon, preferably applewood-smoked
• 6 oz grated mexican cheese blend, divided
• 6 oz grated gouda, divided
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
Directions:
One or two days before serving make the Polenta
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add scallions and sauté just until limp.
- Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.
- Gradually whisk in the corn meal and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick and creamy, 10-14 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in Parmesan and 1 Tbs fresh thyme. Season with salt & fresh ground pepper.
- Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate at least overnight or for up to 2 days.
To make the baked eggs
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat one or two large skillets over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until just brown but still pliable- not crisp!
- Drain on paper towels and cool enough to handle.
- Line the sides of eight Ramekins with two slices of bacon each forming a collar. Put 1/2 slice of bacon in the bottom of each Ramekin.
- Put about 1/3 cup of polenta into each Ramekin, pressing into the bottom and up the sides to form a nest.
- Mix the grated cheeses in a bowl and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese in each Ramekin.
- Crack one egg into the center of each “nest”.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese, scallions, thyme and black pepper.
- Place Ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake about 23 minutes or just until the egg whites are almost set.
- Let eggs stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. They will continue to cook.
Tags: Baked Eggs, Bed and Breakfast Recipes, Breakfast at a B&B, Polenta Eggs
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News, Our Favorite Recipes | Comments Off
July 6th, 2011 by abedofroses
Table setting at A Bed of Roses
This is the latest in our series, First Time at a Bed and Breakfast?
Breakfast etiquette is also different at a B&B. Unlike a hotel restaurant, the small staff at a B&B dictates specific times for service and limitations on how many different dishes are available. Many B&Bs have one or two set seatings and all the guests are served the same meal. Sometimes there are multiple courses and preparation takes a great deal of time. Preparation may even begin the night before. Please let your host know in advance if you will not be there for breakfast! There are few things worse than preparing a gourmet meal that you have to throw in the garbage! If breakfast is served at a set time, please be there on time. It is inconsiderate to make the other guests wait for your arrival while the food gets cold. Most innkeepers will serve at the appointed time whether you are there or not. They have no way of knowing when or if you will arrive, so they may or may not try to keep your breakfast warm for you.
It is also very important to notify your innkeeper as soon as you are able if you require a special diet. Most B&Bs are glad to accommodate dietary restrictions, but this takes planning. The best time to let them know of dietary requirements is when you make your reservation. We also ask guests when they check in if they just don’t care for some foods. We want to give you a meal that you will rave about, but we can’t read minds. If you don’t care for waffles or onions, we want to know about it!
Breakfast at a B&B also calls for being considerate of the other guests. One of the treats of staying at a bed and breakfast is meeting and eating breakfast with all sorts of other people. It’s not like an anonymous hotel or restaurant. It’s best to use common sense when engaging in breakfast conversation with other guests. Like a family gathering, no one wants strife while enjoying a meal together. Almost always, breakfast is an enjoyable social event and many times it’s hard for us to get our guests to leave the table and let us clean up!
Look for our next installment on the dos and don’ts of staying at a B&B: Whispering and tiptoeing around the “museum”!
Tags: advice for first time B&B guests, B&B Breakfast, B&B Etiquette, Breakfast at a B&B, Special diets at a B&B, what to expect at a B&B
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News, Innkeeper Advice and Musings | Comments Off
April 4th, 2011 by abedofroses
A Bed of Roses new logo
A Bed of Roses has a new look! Just in time for Spring, we have launched a brand new website with the help of Inside Out Solutions. New beginnings are sprouting all around the mountains of Western North Carolina and A Bed of Roses has a fresh new beginning as well. Jeff MacCauley has designed our elegant new logo and Murray Lee photographed the inn for us and did a fantastic job capturing the spirit of A Bed of Roses. We believe you’ll find the site easy to navigate as well as lovely to look at. The elegance and warmth of A Bed of Roses really shines through as you explore the website. At the end of August A Bed of Roses transferred ownership and since then we have been working hard to have the website reflect the fresh enthusiasm we have as new innkeepers as well as our love of the Victorian inn that is our new home. We are so fortunate to have found the perfect Bed and Breakfast in the perfect community- Asheville NC. We especially wanted to introduce Nadia and Sasha, our feline hostesses, to our guests. You’ll meet them under “Your Hosts” on the pull down menu for the Inn. Check our blog regularly for area events and specials, including the Spring INN Asheville Tour of inns on April 16th and 17th, as well as recipes and our thoughts about life in the “Paris of the South”, Asheville North Carolina! Please join us on Facebook too!
Tags: A Bed of Roses new logo, A Bed of Roses new website, New owners of A Bed of Roses
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News | Comments Off
March 4th, 2011 by abedofroses
Guests at a Special Occasion in Asheville
A Bed of Roses is a Victorian Bed & Breakfast with 5 unique, antique filled guest rooms, perfect for an immediate family group visiting Asheville for your wedding or special event. Whether it’s the family of the bride or groom, relatives from out of town, the bridesmaids, groomsmen or a group of friends coming to the wedding, the elegant yet intimate setting of our Queen Anne Victorian home will make the experience all the more memorable for your guests. A full gourmet breakfast is included and is served in our dining room, which seats 10. Free WiFi is available throughout the house.
Rental of the entire inn is $779.00 ($825.00 during the month of October) per day plus tax. Total state and county taxes in our locale are 11.75%. If you would like to use our facility for an event such as a Bride’s Brunch, a luncheon or for a small ceremony an event fee of $250.00 will be charged. Catering, entertainment, flowers, equipment rentals such as folding chairs and tables, or a minister would be your responsibility. A 50% deposit is required with the balance due two weeks prior to the first arrival. Rental of the inn does not included kitchen access, however arrangements for caterers to have access during certain hours can be made at our discretion.
Be sure to make your arrangement early to ensure availability of the entire inn, particularly for the busy Spring and Fall seasons.
Tags: Asheville Weddings, Rooms in Asheville for Special Events, Special Event Inn Rental, Wedding Guest Accommodations in Asheville
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News | Comments Off
March 4th, 2011 by abedofroses
A Bed of Roses, an historic Victorian inn
A Bed of Roses was built around 1897 by Oliver Davis Revell as an investment property for Mrs J.B. Gray. O.D. Revell, a successful developer and self made man, was fatherless as an infant and an orphan by the age of 16, but grew from a talented carpenter to a shrewd businessman, building many variants of the Queen Anne style in Asheville. Shortly after Mrs. Gray was widowed, in 1897 O.D. Revel and Carolyn Gray were married, combining their fortunes and expanding his success into the former Indian Territories of Oklahoma. The Oliver Davis Room, the Revell Room and the Carolyn Gray Room are all named after this couple.
The Historic Register of Asheville lists the house as the Marvin B. Wilkinson House. Mr. Wilkinson purchased the house in 1904 and was its first long-term occupant. The Wilkinson room is named in his honor.
Architecturally, the home is a Queen Anne Victorian featuring a large second story polygonal corner projection or turret with a broad ogee roof. The Turret Suite occupies this corner projection and stretches across the front façade of the house, opening to the right hand balcony through a broad glass paned door. The front porch is characterized by stylized Doric columns sitting on stone pedestals.
Situated to the back of a long narrow expanse of lawn, flowering trees and gardens, the building beckons you to follow the long path in and explore this peaceful remnant of Victorian history.
Tags: Asheville Historic Register, Carolyn Gray, Historic inns of Asheville, Historic Montford District, History of A Bed of Roses, Oliver Davis Revell, Wilkinson House
Posted in Asheville Bed and Breakfast News | Comments Off
The Montford Music & Arts Festival is Here Again! May 18th.
First Time at A B&B? How to Get the Most Out of Your B&B Experience.
Recipes from the Kitchen of A Bed of Roses: A Springtime Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart