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Hang your Hat and Come on Inn!

One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing
is what we do for others.


For the continuing adventures of our innkeeping , horsekeeping and livin' the country life in Montana, high tail over to us at the Fish Creek House. Hang yer hat and set a spell. Remember tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learnt something from yesterday. Come as a guest... leave as a friend

Equestrian Ecstasy - Portal to another Reality

There ain't nothing that can't be done
By me and God
Ain't nobody gonna come in between me and God
One day we'll live together
Where the angels trod
Me and God

He's my Father
He's my friend
The beginning
And the end
He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We're a team
Me and God
- Josh Turner

As I tend to Picken, I am again struck by the complexity of responsible horse ownership, and by extension, of life itself. The never -ceasing vigilance that good care requires.. .a vigilance that becomes a second nature almost like trying to survive in a jungle. And you watch horses in the pasture and they all look the same but they are each unique in their personalities and what they bring to the herd and to us humans. I thought what a metaphor for explaining the blogosphere. as the question was posed by our ever thought provoking Liz at Successful Blog

In "rancher's language"...the blogosphere is a bit like navigating your way in the pasture. Each with their own personality, that you must read since you obviously can't "talk" to them. Like us humans, they have different constitutions; Brady is far more nervous, Picken , more regal and independent. By nature they are social creatures and have a herd mentality as that's how they have survived . And while they have their foibles, they teach us different lessons. Alle and Picken are this way.. "yin and yang" in personalities and two of my greatest teachers.

I don't know, at times I've wondered is it courage or stupidity? I'm not entirely sure. I do know that great riders and fearlessness seem to be synonymous. The blogosphere felt that way in the beginning, making all the newbie etiquette faux pas, treading in new uncovered country.

It's no secret that horses are inherently dangerous. It's not that we enjoy being bucked off, stepped on, kicked or bitten. Its more of a decision. We know what its like to eat dirt. It just happens that to most of us, it is worth it for that one perfect moment on the back of a horse. When everything comes together, and this powerful creature begins moving willingly and effortlessly beneath you at your slightest touch. Equestrian Ecstasy... like a drug we constantly crave from the first moment we feel it... trying to get the same fix from every ride from that point on. Sky- ground is definitely part of the journey to becoming a rider. Coping with fear is just another part of learning to ride. Achieving our goals often requires a determined spirit, sweat, and energy well beyond what we think is possible. Be patient with yourself and acknowledge your successes along the way. It may not happen over night, but commitment combined with action will eventually achieve results. You just have to take the first step.

This week I'm riding Brady, Dan's horse..aka "the Chosen One". Out of the infamous high money earner Smart Chic Olena she's an incredible working cow horse. Smaller than both Picken and Alle, makes her an easier fit for me. She is however, quite spooky and has a pension for doing major jumps sideways resulting in unforced dismounts if not on guard. Such happened just recently, though no harm, no foul and resulted in me learning how to ride her rather than how I ride Picken or Alle. So this week.. it's off on the bench with her and Patrick... Some food for thought as we head out. What I typically discover is that somewhere along the ride, I become proactive rather than reactive... and the relationship transforms. A good metaphor for blogging... each of these bloggers bring something unique and our job is to find the lesson. Works for me.

Everyone is your teacher In that vain,

1. Stretch your muscles and your mind to remain flexible in all ways.
2. Copy genius; create abundantly.
3. Never fear; ALL IS WELL. *** I'll remind myself of that one
4. Look for the good in all things, every day.
5. Be playful. - I know I need to be reminded of that sometimes!
6. Have faith.
7. Reach for joy in every moment.

And apres ride... nothing like a childhood favorite. Fig Newtons are one of my all time favorite cookies. At some point I decided that I wanted to try to make my own. I adapted one that I found on Recipe Goldmine. The Fig Newtons were really good, and I figured that after eating about a cup of peanut butter filling, it really didn't matter anymore how many calories they had. So I ate six of them. Again, in the "life's short... eat dessert first" category.

Fig Newtons

Filling:
2 cups dried figs, very finely diced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar

Pastry:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Make sure the figs are very finely chopped so you will be able to spread the filling evenly on the pastry. Simmer the figs in the 1/2 cup sugar and water for 10 minutes. Let cool.

2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together.

3. Cream butter and 3/4 cup of sugar. Mix in honey. Add egg and beat until light.

4. Add dry ingredients and milk to creamed mixture. Add vanilla and blend well. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

5. Divide dough into quarters and roll out into a rectangle that is approximately 11" long by 5" wide. Use a ruler and a knife to trim the pastry into a "neater" rectangle that is 10" x 4".

6. Spread with about 1/4 of the fig mixture. Fold sides of pastry over the filling and cut the the pastry into five 2" cookies.

7. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and repeat with the next 1/4 of the dough.

8. Bake at 400F for about 15 or until tops are golden brown

"You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." Les Brown

Showing your Strengths

I have finally chosen to show Alle. She's a "been there done that" having shown at the state and national levels. I'm the newbie in this partnership.

Without going through the whole list ,she's won Montana Quarter Horse Association titles including

• Reserve High Point Novice Youth
• Hi Point Novice Youth Hunter Under saddle
• High Point Novice Amateur Western Horsemanship

to name a few.

Obviously this is her strength; she enjoys it. And while endurance riding is my first passion; showing English and Western is obviously her strength; she loves her "job" and we have a blast. Play to her strengths and strengthen the partnership. Where are those parallels in life?

The one discipline she does in her sleep is Showmanship at Halter.. This is really a dance between horse and rider and precise communication is the difference between a winning horse and one that 's just going through the maneuvers. I've jokingly remarked "the good news is she's well trained; the bad news is she's well trained". She's so sharp with her cues; but if you dont give them precisely as she's been trained, it becomes more like "huh, what did you say" or "when you ask the right question, I'll give you the answer". I've found showmanship the closest thing to "horse talk". We start each lesson with maneuvers and then Joani gives me a pattern.

She's invariably a more responsive ride when I get on back afterwards. The technicality of the patterns is something that also fascinates me as well.

What is Showmanship?
I thought you might ask. Showmanship is the Exhibitor (moi in this case)performing a pattern to show how well he or she can handle his horse in hand. During a showmanship class you want to always be aware of the judge and your horse. Keeping your horse at arms length, you want to keep your cues as silent and minimal as possible.

During Showmanship class you are judged on your appearance, how well your horse is groomed, and your ability to perform a pre set pattern.

When done correctly, a good go at a showmanship pattern should look like you are dancing with your horse and the judge.

What you accomplish by adding showmanship patterns to your training and riding program:

Exhibitor (that's you) will learn to think ahead and practice patterns.
Exhibitor and horse will have better body awareness.
Exhibitor will have better overall control and communication with your horse.

In training for showmanship i'm reminded totally of Rules 3-5 of .10 Rules for being Human I'd seen this years ago, but re-discovered it (how fortuitous) it again just recently.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it’s inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you’d want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it’s also ‘the act of erasing an emotional debt’. Behaving with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that ‘mistakes’ are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - ‘causality’ must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn’t happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the ‘rhythm of life’, don’t struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Before starting the pattern, have your horse groomed and outfitted in his halter and lead with chain.


During an actual class, you have run the chain under the horses jaw.
1. You will begin with your horse set up (square) and straight at cone A facing toward Cone D.

2. Here is where it gets wild, jog off left to the right of Cone B, stop and then perform a 135 degree turn. (Pivot)

Your horse should jog when you jog, and not lag behind you. I cluck twice quietly to the horse before we begin so he knows to be prepared to jog. Don't look at your horse, look where you are going.

Stop when your horses shoulder is even with Cone B.

When you perform the pivot, be sure your horses right hind hoof stays planted. Turn your shoulders square to your horses neck and walk toward your horse and slightly forward to pivot.

Don't look at the hoof or it will surely move. Look at your horses topline.

Move briskly, but take your time between maneuvers, don't rush.

3. Jog to cone C, stop, and set up for inspection.

Don't jog off to Cone C until your horse is straight facing Cone C. Ideally jog a straight line.

Stop when your horses shoulder is even with Cone C.

See squaring the front hooves, and squaring the back hooves to learn how to set up your horse.

4. When excused, back to Cone D, then Stop your horse.

I always pick a fence post and make sure that my horse backs straight and not crooked. Don't turn your horses head or tip his nose when you back him. Face your shoulders in the direction you want to back your horse. (straight)

When backing position yourself that your elbow is even with your horses muzzle, and your shoulder is next to your horses throat latch.

5. Perform a 90 degree turn (pivot) then walk to Cone A, and line up at the direction of the ring steward.

I watch myself get so frustrated when I'm not giving the precise cues she knows... But it's amazing the bonding and partnership and how well the game gets played when we are in harmony Life's a dance you learn as you go... Let's Dance

Programming the Passenger

A huge part of being a good rider I'm discovering is that aspect of developing a partnership rather than being a passenger. A different experience for both horse and rider.

As Roland my massage therapist said "picture the ride you wnat to ride, feelings, sensations, the smell of the trails how your legs feel and step into that picture.

Wikpedia defines Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) as a personal development system developed in the early 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder . It uses a toolbox of strategies, axioms and beliefs about human perception and subjective experience.

NLP's core idea is that an individual's thoughts, gestures and words interact to create one's perception of the world. By changing one's outlook, therefore, a person can improve his attitudes and actions. These observations can be changed by applying a variety of techniques.

I knew a trained NLP therapist back in New York days and while I only dabbled in its techniques a combination of applying the principles and "visualization" have helped me alot in competition and "riding the ride I want."

NLP teaches that a person can develop successful habits by focusing on helpful behaviors and diminishing negative ones. Positive change can come when you are the behaviors and beliefs of successful people (called 'modeling').

Some of its presuppositions include

There is no failure, only feedback (what a great formula for life!)

NLP does not view communication in terms of success and failure. No, not all actions are expected to "work", rather they are intended to explore, and the results should be utilized as a source of valuable learning and new focus, rather than cause for negativity and despair. Do not dwell unnecessarily on the failure, instead explore what you have learned for the next time
How liberating and empowering is that!! That alone can help in achieving the outcome. Instead of beating yourself up... it's an "opportunity in work clothes"

Choice is better than no choice (and flexibility is the way one gets choice)

As a self-admitted "control freak" this is key. A large part of basic NLP is recognizing "stuckness", "One choice is no choice, two choices is a dilemma, three [or more] choices is choice". The ability to change the process by which we experience reality is more often valuable than changing the content of our experience of reality.

ow much does the mind have to do with becoming a good rider? What is the connection between what we think and what we do? Is it possible to change our mental programming, allowing us to enhance our awareness, learn new skills, become confident riders, all without leaving the comforts of home?

A good example . When you are hungry driving home from work, you begin to imagine what you might have for dinner. As you review the menu in your mind, your mouth begins to water. Perhaps you visualized the ingredients you would need for your meal. You picture going through the motions of slicing the fruit, grating the cheese, opening the can or even pulling up to the drive thru. Chances are the more you thought about it, the more hungry you became.

The mind cannot differentiate between reality and what is imagined. When you visualize something, your body responds as if you were actually doing it. Visualization is the ability to create mental images that simulate experience. The mind doesn't care whether or not something is imagined or something we actually do. Our muscles can actually learn new skills and refine the mind-body connection through visualization. Obviously you can't increase muscle tone daydreaming in your bedroom, you can however, use the power of imagination as an aid to create what you want to accomplish in your riding.

One of the main things research has shown showed was that almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they experience it before they actually do it. They begin with the end in mind. I've used this technique with great effects on my races.

That sounds great, think positive, imagine the perfect ride... blah blah blah... but how can I put it into use in a practical way. Can I imagine my self riding the perfect dressage test, do an I dream of Jeanie folded arm wink and ride in to reality? No, not exactly, at least not that simply or that quickly. Successful visualization and mental practice still takes practice. Start a little smaller. Let's say a 20 meter circle.

The night before, or morning of your next ride give this a try... I am doing this as well.

1.Clear your mind - I usually do this in bed, when its quiet and there are no distractions. Use whatever works for you to clear the clutter. Some people like to mentally rehearse after relaxing exercise - yoga, tai chi, or even just stretching. Its not important how you relax, but relaxation and ability to focus are absolutely essential.

2. Bring forward what you want to learn - overcome - Use all your senses. Visualize every detail. The clothes you’re wearing, your tack, the weather outside, the footing in the arena. Imagine your state of mind (positive and relaxed). Imagine your body being free from tension, whatever vices or tension completely vanished.

3. Now begin to imagine your ride. I feel howl how my horse feels, this rhythm and cadence. Each step around the arena. Picturing myself in perfect posture, executing each maneuver correctly. Repeat it as though you were actually doing it. No detail is too small. Visualize the end of your perfect ride in just as much detail including putting the horse away

As Gandhi said: ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’

Some post ride oats for my horse and some for us. Down on the Farm Flax cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup (150 mL) flaxseeds
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

Preparation
In bowl, beat together butter and brown and granulated sugars until light; beat in egg and vanilla.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, flaxseeds and baking soda; stir into butter mixture until soft dough forms.

Drop by level tablespoonfuls (15 mL), 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on ungreased rimless baking sheets. Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350ºF (180ºC) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until golden, 12 minutes. Let cool on pan on rack for 2 minutes.

Transfer cookies to rack; let cool. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper and freeze in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

Exercising Your Options

Horses don't run for "human reasons", cardio fitness, weight loss, or anything else but the love of moving

Want to be more fit, fast and performing pain free... physically and mentally? Run. Those who exercise have a mental advantage over those who don't.

"...exercisers showed significant improvements in the higher mental processes of memory and in "executive functions" that involve planning, organization, and the ability to mentally juggle different intellectual tasks at the same time.

The brain-boosting (and prevention of brain decline) effects of physical exercise have been studied nearly to death (pardon the turn of phrase). The confusing part is why so many humans do not exercise. And this is where we can again learn from our animals.

Take a healthy dog and put it in a confined area (house, kennel, etc.). Then take him out to a park or trail, and remove the leash. What happens? Take a horse out of a stall or small paddock and turn him loose in a larger enclosure or pasture. What happens? Could be a rendition of the Kentucky Derby

Take a human out of his work cubicle or off the couch and turn him loose outside. What happens? Hmmm... for far too many of us, nothing happens. Or we turn around and walk right back in the door and head for the couch or the chair in front of our computer. The one thing that usually does not happen is the kind of physical exuberance--the sheer joy of being able to run and jump--that so many other animals do.

For me, I 'm blessed with the natural instinct to move, and run. I think that's why Picken's my equine soulmate. Her former owners said .. "she has a big engine, she 'd rather run up a hill than walk". I can totally relate. I think we've found our niche, endurance riding. Brand new passion and discovery See its never too late to start. I started riding the horses two years ago... granted I come from an ultrarunning background and it's hard for me to sit still.. if you need a good kick in the butt here are some additional benefits outlined on WebMd. That'll get you going.

I know I start the day with a morning walk or run with Manker aka the B*B dog, ending at the corral for always waiting horses.
ISome days especially with "racehorse" Picken, it's harder to get myself going since each day is new and one must always assess"what side of the corral she woke up on". Above, an uncharacteristically quiet Picken. But this is the Picken in her preferred gait.. .sometimes you just have to leg it out... be it on your horse, or in your life. There's nothing like galloping free as the wind. It's always an opportunity to let everything else go but it's also a time of free floating ideas. But I come back invigorated, empowered, with a new sense of courage, and ideas.

Then there's the ingredients for a recipe where yes, you can change the world. Sometimes in life you need a little push to let you know you could do more than ever thought possible Only in hindsight have I come to understand that real goodness and new possibilities are often embedded within the fearful appearances all around me, and that having trained myself to be always braced for the inevitable worst, I have habituated to seeing evil lurking just ahead, even where it does not exist. Thinking to protect myself, I have become blind to one of the truly beautiful ironies of this world …that goodness often approaches in curious, sometimes ominous events. Even when Picken 's in "Kentucky Derby mode" and forgetiting about the "human" on her back.

And so believing, I have missed much, feared much, believed myself much poorer than I am. May you find beauty and hope where it exists ...despite your fears that it does not.

The Big "O"

The big "O"rganic that is.. Earth Week is a good time to consider the meaning of organic Not just in the foods we eat, the products we buy but how we are as we interact in the world.

But alas , it is Monday, and in keeping with the theme... organic recipes to the rescue.
Doesnt even have to been fancy or complicated to be organic.

Yes, you can start the week with Chocolate . It's even good for you
Monday Chocolate Waffles

Start the week with chocolate, almost ac dessert, only you get to eat them for breakfast!
Recipe adapted from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café

Notes: Katzen says to use plain milk instead of buttermilk for the chocolate variation, but I didn't (maybe the cocoa powder already has enough acid?). Waffles are soft right off the iron.

Tuesday Egg in a Nest
This recipe had two purposes: one to have fun cooking and it's so easy and nutritious. Serves 2

2 whole egg, separated
4 tbl grated cheese
salt (optional)
butter or oil

Heat oven to 350.
Separate the yolks from the white.
Put the yolk in a small dish and the eggs white in a bowl. Whip the egg whites until it is firm by hand or using a mixer.
Fold the grated cheese onto the egg white. If the cheese is not salty add a pinch of salt.
Grease a sheet pan and spoon the egg white in a mound on it, make an indentation in the middle, doughnut style.
Bake for 3 minutes in the oven. Remove and slip the egg yolk into the middle of the egg white. Bake for another 2-3 minutes until the yolk is cooked to your desire doneness. Serve with toast.

Wednesday Mushroom Cheddar Brunch Tart

Prepare the components of this savory tart the night before, then throw it together in the morning for an easy brunch.
Serves 8

Cheddar Pastry
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold Horizon Organic unsalted butter
1/2 cup Horizon Organic shredded cheddar cheese
2-3 tablespoons cold Horizon Organic whole milk

Whisk together the flour and salt in a spacious bowl. Cut the butter into very small pieces and add it to the bowl. Use a pinching and tossing motion to combine the butter and flour with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add shredded cheese and toss to combine. Add two tablespoon of milk, using the same tossing motion to distribute the moisture. The finished dough should be crumbly mixture that holds together when pressed. If the dough seems dry, add the remaining tablespoon of milk.

Use oil or nonstick cooking spray to thoroughly grease an 8" fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the cheddar pastry crumbs onto the sides and bottom of the prepared pan in a smooth, even layer. (For best results, form the sides of the crust first, pinching very firmly to press the crumbs into the pan's fluted edge. Use your fingers to gently pat the crumbs that remain into an even layer, forming the bottom of the crust. Finish by using the base of a drinking glass or other flat implement, dusted with flour, to press the bottom of the crust firmly into place.)

Chill the cheddar pastry in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling, or overnight.

Mushroom Cheddar Filling
1 tablespoon Organic unsalted butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Organic shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup diced ham, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Organic large egg
1/2 cup Organic whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the butter over medium high heat until the mushrooms give up most of their liquid. (You can do this in advance and store the cooked mushrooms in the refrigerator overnight.)

Arrange the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom of the chilled crust. Top with the sautéed mushrooms and onions, and the ham if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk together the egg and the milk and pour the mixture over the arranged filling ingredients. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until it is puffed, golden, and set in the center. (Because of the cheese in the pastry crust, this tart is ikely to drip some oil while baking. Place a foil-lined pan on a lower oven rack to catch the drips and ease clean-up.)

Innkeepers' Note : Don't unmold the tart from its pan until it is cool enough to be handled comfortably. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Thursday Granola French Toast

Serves 4

2 whole eggs
2 Tbl whole milk
Pinch of salt
1Tbl sugar (opt.), depends on sweetness of granola
1 cup granola
4 bread slices (3/8 to 1/2-inch thick), preferably one day old
1 tbl sunflower oil or butter

Mix eggs, milk, salt and sugar (opt.) and add the granola. Pour into a shallow dish.
Put bread slices into egg granola mixture and leave for a minute or so to absorb the liquid.
Melt butter or oil in a sauté pan, add soaked bread slices and put some of the granola mix on top of the bread.
Cook on both sides until lightly brown and the eggs are set.
Serve with fresh berries and yogurt, honey or maple syrup.

Note: If you have leftover egg-granola mixture - make dollar size dollops in the sauté pan and cook them until firm, like pancakes. Serve with berries and yogurt.

Friday - Breakfast Burrito
2 servings

4 large organic Eggs, or 3 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. organic green onions, diced
dash of cumin and chili powder
1/2 c. Salsa
2 Organic Tortillas

Pour eggs in a pan lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add onions, spices and salsa; stir. Cook eggs until firm. Heat tortilla in microwave or in a dry skillet. Roll eggs in heated tortilla and enjoy! Prepare the night before and wrap in wax paper or foil for an easy, grab-n-go breakfast.

Organic food, nurtures our hearth, home and hearts . Ultimately we're all family How can you be more organic?

Coffee and Crumpets

As a bed and breakfast, we certainly go through our fair share of coffee...a serious commodity here. Ah, what to do with coffee cans... as mom used to say "waste not, want not" Here's 13 of them


Bake perfectly round bread
Use small coffee cans to bake perfectly cylindrical loaves of bread. Use your favorite recipe but put the dough in a well-greased coffee can instead of a loaf pan. For yeast breads use two cans and fill each only half full. Grease the inside of the lids and place them on the cans. For yeast breads, you will know when it is time to bake when the rising dough pushes the lids off. Place the cans -- without the lids -- upright in the oven to bake.


Separate hamburgers
Before you put those hamburger patties in the freezer, stack them with a coffee-can lid between each and put them in a plastic bag. Now, when the patties are frozen you'll be able to easily peel off as many as you need.


Hold kitchen scraps
Line a coffee can with a small plastic bag and keep it near the sink to hold kitchen scraps and peelings. Instead of walking back and forth to the garbage can, you'll make one trip to dump all the scraps at the same time.


Make a bank
To make a bank for the kids or a collection can for a favorite charity, use a utility knife to cut a 1/8-inch (3-millimeter) slit in the center of the plastic lid of a coffee can. Tape decorative paper or adhesive plastic to the sides of the kids' bank; for a collection can, use the sides of the can to highlight the charity you are helping.

Store belts
If you have more belts than places to hang them up, just roll them up and store them in a cleaned-out coffee can with a clear lid. Coffee cans are just the right size to keep belts from creasing, and clear lids will let you find each belt easily.

Keep the laundry room neat
Have an empty coffee can nearby as you're going through the kids' pockets before putting up a load of wash. Use it to deposit gum and candy wrappers, paper scraps, and other assorted items that kids like to stuff into their pockets. Keep another can handy for coins and bills.

Keep carpets dry
Place plastic coffee-can lids under houseplants as saucers. They will protect carpets or wood floors and catch any excess water.

Keep toilet paper dry when camping
Bring a few empty coffee cans with you on your next camping trip. Use them to keep toilet paper dry in rainy weather or when you're carrying supplies in a canoe or boat.

Gauge rainfall or sprinkler coverage
Find out if your garden is getting enough water from the rain. Next time it starts to rain, place empty coffee cans in several places around the garden. When the rain stops, measure the depth of the water in the cans. If they measure at least an inch, there's no need for additional watering. This is also a good way to test if your sprinkler is getting sufficient water to the areas it is supposed to cover.

Make a coffee-can bird feeder
To fashion a coffee can into a sturdy bird feeder, begin with a full can and open the top only halfway. (Pour the coffee into an airtight container.) Then open the bottom of the can halfway the same way. Carefully bend the cut ends down inside the can so the edges are not exposed to cut you. Punch a hole in the side of the can at both ends, where it will be the "top" of the feeder, and put some wire through each end to make a hanger.

Eliminate workshop clutter
You want small items like screws, nuts, and nails to be handy, but you don't want them to take up workbench space. Here's a way to get the small stuff up out of the way. Drill a hole near the top of empty coffee cans so you can hang them on nails in your workshop wall. Label the cans with masking tape so you will know what's inside.

Soak a paintbrush
An empty coffee can is perfect for briefly soaking a paintbrush in thinner before continuing a job the next day. Cut an X into the lid and insert the brush handles so the bristles clear the bottom of the can by about 1/2 inch (12 millimeters). If the can has no lid, attach a stick to the brush handle with a rubber band to keep the bristles off the bottom of the can.

Catch paint drips
Turn the plastic lids from old coffee cans into drip catchers under paint cans and under furniture legs when you're painting. Protect cupboard shelves by putting them under jars of cooking oil and syrup too.

Well actually scones instead of crumpets . Open up yet another can of coffee to brew a pot to enjoy with.
These scones are juicy with raisins, and the tart taste of buttermilk. With all the raisins, these biscuits are a sweet treat even without any toppings or spreads. You can enjoy them all on their own.

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 cups flour
* 2 tbs baking powder
* 2 tbs sugar
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
* 1/2 cup butter, cut up
* 1 cup raisins
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 1 egg white, lightly beaten

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 425F Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is like large crumbs. Stir in raisins and buttermilk. Roll dough into a ball, and knead for a couple of minutes on a floured surface. Roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut out 3-inch triangles and place on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with egg whites. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 12 scones

A Housewife on Steroids

Or a day in the life of an innkeeper.

Forget what you saw on Newhart, that '80s sitcom about an innkeeper who seems to spend most of the day lounging. Dan and I have found our complementary strengths, so we wear all the hats". Still you'res on the go 12 hours a day and is lucky to get six hours of sleep a night.

Go with the flow chart time

First Up: Perfunctory run with Manker.. .we both need to get out... get the horses in for their morning breakfast.. .thisis a bed and breakfast after all.

Second up: fixing the washer.

Dan and I (OK, Dan alone, with me watching) take the machine apart and discover the culprit: a ripped hose. We'll need a replacement, and soon Dan races north to the closest store that has one — 20 miles away.

I'm left behind to arrange fresh flowers for the dining room. Already, I'm falling behind on the day's chores. By now, I should have prepared registration cards for check-ins. And at some point I must get into the kitchen for the weekly menu "fire up the ovens" routine. Still waiting for Dan to come back, I instinctively go re-clean the toilets... cathartic.

As an aside, we remodeled the inn, can you say "gutted it and started again" and just before we moved in we had a well known local cleaner come in and give it a top to bottom cleaning. Nothing worse than moving all your belongings into a new home only to have to get into everything and clean it. Best to clean an empty nest. To this day, I owe her a debt of gratitude. Periodically we have some of her staff in here prior to or apres guests for a clean up. "It's not too bad," she says when asked what it's like to work at a bed-and-breakfast. "I guess this is what it's like to be a housewife."

A housewife on steroids, maybe. I go over the "game plan" for when each breakfast item needs to go in the oven (critical, , when serving up to 14 people a day). And there's another chart showing the dietary constraints of each guest. Tomorrow, one guest is a vegetarian. Another doesn't eat eggs.

Excuse me, just had to take that last phone call; a reservation .. folks coming from Boston .. .via Yellowstone and staying for two nights. Pre-requisite and fun schmoozing and yes... booked. They too are looking to transition their jobs and lifestyle to Montana. I'm telling you this really is the last best place

Guests or no guests, kitchen cleaning is non-ending. You also have to be a part time fix-it type since Murphy tends to rear his head at most inopportune time. The one that stands out for me was the night before our State Association inspection. To become a member one of the criteria is of course meeting a strict code of guidelines and amenities. We had our cleaning crew in to give it the last touch and polish . In their zeal, they disconnected the washer to clean behind it, only to leave the hose unfastened. Can you say "ark"? I needed one for the serious flood that greeted me. Fortunately I called them and they AND their kids came over and did such an awesome job of cleaning out and drying out and re-organizing the laundry room... it actually looked better than before. All this , and the guests havent checked in.

Then there's the care and feeding of our animals, horses, sheep and of course Manker, aka the "b&b;" dog. Since moving to Big Sky Country, I've discovered a new passion ... horses. So I've also taken on a new labour of love, endurance riding .with Picken, thoroughbred mare. That requires (and a labour of love at that) time allotted for putting in the miles aka "time on feet" as it were as well as making sure she's nutritionally sound to be fit and fast and performing pain free.

And then before you know it... "it's show time folks" and the guests arrive". That is most always the best part since the work again starts after they depart. But that's another dose of steroids.

If you're even contemplating a career change or transition, I suggest ... taking a Working Vacation to see if the new vocation will suit more than a vacation. Some ideas for the journey

It might be fun, but it isn't cheap. Vocation Vacations' innkeeper program costs $499, not including the cost of staying at the St. Bernards bed-and-breakfast, where rooms start at $149 a night (800-436-2848; www.st-bernards.com).

Innkeeping not your dream job? Vocation Vacations offers more than a dozen other programs and more are in the works (971-544-1535; vocationvacations.com). Among them (prices are per person, not including lodging):

The Horse Trainer Vocation Vacation. Horse whisperer wannabes spend two days at Four Mountains Ranch in Portland, Ore. Get a hands-on sense of what it takes to train, feed, groom and exercise horses as a profession. Two days, $999.

Baker Vocation Vacation. Dream of chucking it all to become a baker? That's what Lisa Lathrop did. The former government bureaucrat founded the Wisconsin Cheesecakery of Madison, Wis., and she'll talk you through a day of mixing, baking and cake decorating. One day, $499.

There's a lot more to running an inn than baking muffins, That's why it's great to be a husband/wife team where while Dan does alot of cooking I do the housekeeping, bookkeeping, marketing and ranch stuff. (except for the real heavy duty work that needs to get done around a ranch) .

But alas, it's just another day in paradise And since I've given you food for thought.. yes I will bake those muffins before I meet equine soul sister Carol for an endurance training ride.

CINNAMON APPLE MUFFINS
1 egg 1/2 c. milk 1/4 c. oil 1 c. grated apple 1 1/2 c. self-rising flour 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/3 c. brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Bake in greased muffin pan at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. from Cooks Illustrated

Can't Curb My Enthusiasm

It was another incredible "train the trainer" ride with Patrick today. Picken and I continue to teach each other lessons. We typically meet at a variety of venues and I do two loope with him. As a horse trainer, he'll bring two horses, we finish one loop, go back to his rig while he readies the second horse as I say "second shooter". That in and of itself is great training for Picken who thinks "she's done" after the first loop and lo and behold, she's off again up the hlll and onto the bench.

And like us humans interact differently with each other , so horses have different energies. Invariably, the ride with the first horse will be pardon the phrase "a horse of a different color" with the second shooter. Different energies. The first horse, Picken rated real well with, wasnt in racetrack wanting to be in the lead. Here we got to work alot on my seat and leg position which Patrick would coach when I could hear him in between the "winds of Whitehall".

The second horse was a an Appendix Quarterhorse with just a tad of thoroughbred in her that he's training for his wife . Kick it up a notch. Much harder for her to curb her enthusiasm. "We dont want to get left at the gate now" Here it was way more difficult for her to be behind. I noticed that I'd purposely put her in "second" position just so we could work (play?) through that. Her pace and her head would pick up. That's actually huge for me since in the past I'd avoid that scenario. Coming down the steeper downhills she'd really pick up the pace and I thought great , you want to trot fast , let's play with collection. Curb the enthusiasm just a bit ... pardon the pun. . A great ride and always, a lesson that reveals more of myself to me. Apres ride I was sitting around the Kitchen Table where the conversation turned to G-d and suffering, definitions and the lessons. During the conversation apropos of horses and the ride Tariq gave me a real "aha" moment with

It seems that your horses are almost like us -- we do best when we are focused on God, much as they do best when focused on their rider. Your experience with training brings much insight to this discussion on suffering.



While we were around the kitchen table as it were, thought I'd whip up some fixings..some good ol' "comfort food". April is National Grill cheese Month - no fooling. The quest for making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich continues. As a kid I loved the "diner" grilled cheese sandwich with just the right amount of melted cheese oozing out .

GRILLED CHEESE, AND TOMATO SANDWICH
1. Spread butter on one side each of 2 slices of bread. 2. Place 1 piece of American cheese on a non-buttered side of bread. 3. Place tomato slices on top of the cheese. 4. Lay thin slices of tomato slices. 5. Put other slice of bread, butter side up, on top. 6. Fry in a pan until both sides are nicely browned. 7. Tastes delicious!

Natural enthusiasm is a gift when it represents inner joy. I remember a running friend in New York , Lizzie She ran her perfunctory three miles regularly at 6:30am in Central Park. A slight woman, never intimidated by the fact that it was dark and yes, Central Park... Aware but not intimidated. By day she worked in a shoe store, because she loved the customers and helping them. Whenever I called her or when I was at her house and the phone range she'd greet you with an inner joy in her voice. You'd always come off the phone thinking that you were the most important person in the world And while it's been a really long time since I've since I've seen Lizzie, that lesson is so important especially in the innkeeping business.

What brings out yournatural enthusiasm ?

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Bonnie Jean Wasmund

It's Good to Feel Good

No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself, how confident you are, how accomplished you feel. It reflects whether a person loves, accepts, and believes in who they are. For some of us, however, it can go up and down. One day you might feel really on top of everything, great about yourself, unafraid to try anything. And the next day, you’re just as likely to feel lower than an angleworm's tummy, unsure of yourself, afraid to say or do anything.

Building high self-esteem is a process, not something you can develop overnight. And this isn’t necessarily easy. Yet, every single person has the capacity of high self-esteem. The question is, how do you get there? I thought you might ask. Here's 13 tips to get you started:

1. Stop comparing yourself with other people.

Often, we strengthen or reduce our value by contrasting themselves either positively or negatively with others. But if you play the comparison game, you’ll run into too many “opponents” you can’t defeat. There will always be some people who have more than you and some who have less. So stop comparing!

2. Stop the critic inside of you.

Some people have a bad habit of putting themselves down often. They say negative things to themselves like, “I’m always late. Why am I such a flake?” or “There you go again, stupid!” So get in the new habit of catching yourself saying critical things about yourself and learn to silence your inner critic. And if this is unavoidable, at least tone down the level of your criticism.

3. Forgive and forget.

Do not waste your time and energy thinking of past hurts. Your time can be wisely spent for other productive things rather than forlorn thoughts. We make mistakes, even when we’re trying our best. Sometimes you just have to apologize, let it go and move on.

4. Associate with positive, supportive people.

The “real you” is a magnificent, unique being with enormous potential and capacity for experiencing love of yourself and extending love to others. So keep your interest in life at a high level by being in the company of enthusiastic people. This way, you will get infected by their positive attitude. You will view the world in its full shining glory and move around oozing with energy. In the same manner, it would be wise to stay away from negatively inclined thinkers. When you are surrounded by negative people who constantly put you and your ideas down, your self-esteem is lowered.

5. Get involved in work and activities you love.

It’s hard to feel good about yourself if your days are spent in work you hate. Self-esteem flourishes when you are engaged in work and activities that you enjoy and make you feel valuable. For me it's being around guests I know are enjoying themselves and also being around horse folks. And even if you’re not in a position to make immediate changes in your career, you can still devote some of your leisure time to enjoyable hobbies or activities.

6. Be true to yourself.

Live your own life - not the life someone decided is best for you. You will never gain your own respect and you will never feel good about yourself if you aren’t leading the life you want to lead. So if you’re still making decisions based on getting approval from friends and relatives, you aren’t being true to yourself and your self-esteem is lowered.

7. Quit blaming yourself for mistakes in the past.

Many things in our lives are only minimally in our control, but those of us who develop low self-esteem take the full blame for the resulting negative outcomes. Instead, learn to honor your efforts and give proper credit for things that you have done well. Following a practical approach for managing your self-esteem will prevent it from becoming a problem and keep you off that rollercoaster.

8. Make a long list of your personal breakthroughs.

Think of times when you did something that you thought that never could do but managed to pull off successfully. These breakthroughs can generate an authentic source of never-ending pride in you. Read this list often. While reviewing it, close your eyes and recreate the feelings of satisfaction and joy you experienced when you first attained each success.

10. Make a list of your positive qualities.

Not everyone has your unique abilities and talents. Are you honest? Unselfish? Helpful? Creative? Be generous with yourself and write down at least 20 positive qualities. . Most people dwell on their inadequacies and then wonder why their life isn’t working out. Start focusing on your positive traits and you’ll stand a much better chance of achieving what you wish to achieve.

11. Figure out the hidden strengths in your so-called weaknesses.

You can’t develop high self-esteem if you constantly repeat negative comments about your skills and abilities. Remember that there is always a positive in every negative if you look hard enough. For instance,I'm sometimes perceived as stubborn, but the flipside is that I'm also persistent and tenacious when I have a goal. Hell hath no fury! I'm finding my best qualities can also be my downfall; it's how you use it.

12. Accept all compliments with “Thank You.”

Don’t dismiss or ignore them. When you do this you give yourself the message that you do not deserve or are not worthy of praise, which by the way reflects low self-esteem. Respond to all compliments with a simple Thank You.

13. Start giving more.

You must give more of yourself to those around you. Because when you do things for someone else, you are making a positive contribution and you begin to feel more valuable, which in turn lifts your spirits and raises your own self-esteem.

Now go, chew on that for awhile - courtesy of cooks.com

CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES

2 c. sifted flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 c. shortening 1 c. brown sugar, packed 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats 1 c. flaked coconut 1 c. raisins Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream together shortening, brown sugar and sugar in bowl until light and fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, mixing well with spoon. Stir in oats, raisins and coconut. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls, about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Makes 5 dozen.

So Let your Light so Shine

He revealeth the deep and secret things:
He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.
Daniel 2:22

We had an incredible guest last night; a home grown Montanan looking for a midweek getaway. She is enroute to a Christian writing conference at the end of March and was looking for some inspiration and thought a change of scenery might be just the ticket to finishing her manuscript.

She arrived precisely at 4pm, as I was finishing up the the proverbial final crossing t's and dotting i's and signing off on our done taxes. Although very friendly, after the guided tour of the b&b; which she loved, she promptly went into seclusion in Bill's Room to write, pray, enjoy the panoramic views and otherwise be inspired.

Having grown up here in a ranching family, her written work has focused primarily with the background of alot of Montana history, in Dillon, Twin Bridges and Southwest Montana. The current manuscript however, is a children's book entitled The Castle on the Strait., based on a lighthouse she fell in love with while visiting Michigan and her own childhood. She came up briefly for air for a spot of yummy apple spice herbal tea I'd prepared and some chocolate macaroons. She also shared her manuscript with us which was really a good read.

This morning I went out for the morning walk and horse gathering and Dan joined me since he'd forgotten to put out hay for them... a minor detail. She had already arisen and was working on her first cup of organic joe. Upon our return, she was re--reading her manuscript and totally in awe of her surroundings and our breakfast room which overlook the Tobacco Root Mountains. I also asked her if she'd been inspired... I was hoping she had been and that she wouldnt feel her getaway had been in vain.

She smiled brightly, the manuscript is done! G-d is good. We had most excellent fellowship while Dan did yeoman service preparing the breakfast of belgian waffles , Montana bacon, syrup, juice and several rounds of coffee.

Ingredients

Mix eggs, buttermilk and oil together. Add dry ingredients. Bake on a hot Belgian Waffle iron. Makes 5 waffles

More excited and renewed to go to her conference now, she plans to return for a two day stay after that. A gracious woman of G-d, she was telling me about a friend of hers talking to her about the struggles with her book and I found myself quoting Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the L-rd with all your Heart, and lean not on your own understanding In all your ways Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path

She looked at me incredulously since that was precisely the same verse her friend had offered. She left shortly thereafter since she wanted to stop off enroute home to her mom's. I helped her out to her car and she gave me a big hug and I said, "Go with G-d."

She did so but in process went without her manuscript which I found on the kitchen table, but that's an easy one to mail. This was followed by putting on the "housekeeping hat" where I summarily did a complete "do out", comprising, laundry, room cleaning, kitchen cleaning and so on. Good thing I have those herbal concoctions.

In a couple of hours, Picken and I (and Dan) will join Patrick for a ride; the fist ride out with him since my arm incident. I'm praying we go with G-d as well

Good Shabbos.

Kiss me o Radiant Son

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your G-d.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

I awoke this morning to beautiful sunshine skies and actually some warmth. I let the radiance of the Son and the Sun both kiss Manker and me as we headed down to the horses . And I really felt G-d's presence warming me through the condondrums we've been thru as of late. So the above prayer came forth as 3 very polite horses were following me in for the breakfast.

I have always loved the book of Isaiah Isaiah, written some time in the 6th century BCE and addressed to the community of exiled Jews living in Babylon, emphasizes the principles of holiness, justice and ultimately the salvation of the Jewish people.

And He will uphold you; it doesn’t matter your endeavor; starting a successful business, building a house, cleaning the garage, winning a football game, or yes, getting out of debt. They are the same for anything you might be attempting. Here's how I got there.

1 - Plan For Success – You’ve got to at least have a plan. It doesn’t have to be the best plan. It doesn’t even have to consider every eventuality. But you’ve got to at least have one. It should also be written down somewhere. If it’s just rattling around in the old noggin’, sorry, it doesn’t count. Having a plan, however rudimentary it may be, will force you to see things you might otherwise miss, and to pick up problems early, before they become insurmountable. It will also make you look at different alternatives to achieve your objective. (aka Plan B).

2 – Initiate the plan – You’ve got to actually get off your fat butt and set the plan into motion. The world is full of people who come up with great ideas, even ideas that could change the world for the better, or make them wealthy. Many of those people are still living in a van, down by the river, because that idea in their heads remained just that;an idea in their heads.

3 – Focus on your objective – It’s easy in this crazy world in which we live to let the multitude of distractions get in the way. You can’t let yourself get distracted. I’ve said it in other posts; treat every task like a military operation. Focus on the objective until it’s accomplished.

4 – Don’t whimp out. You can’t quit. Ever. You may have to refine what you’re doing. You may even have to rethink things completely, but you can’t quit. There are millions of dejected quitters that stopped before they reached their goal. Many were oh, so close. If you fail once, get back on the frickin’ horse, Tex! Trust me, I've been there. The world is also full of extremely successful people with multiple failures in their background. The key is to treat failures as a learning experience and not to repeat them. Find a way to succeed

These 4 keys to success will serve you well in anything you’re attempting. Just attempt something, please. When in doubt, give it to G-d, He's always and beckoning you to come on inn!

And then I thought the perfect breakfast repast... eggs sunny side up

For traditional sunny-side up eggs, melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter in a 8-inch non-stick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat. Break open eggs into pan and immediately reduce heat to low. Cook slowly until the whites are completely set and the yolks begins to thicken, but are not hard. For over easy-eggs flip over for 15 seconds. Serve eggs right away and enjoy!

Innkeeper Note: Do not salt eggs before or during cooking. Salt can cause the eggs to become tough tough during cooking, so for best results salt eggs (if desired) only after cooking.

Trials, temptations, disappointments — all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.”

~ James Buckham

Innside the Kitchen

One of my passions (besides the horses) is taking care of the B&B; fixin's. The biggest problem is that many people do not have a well-stocked kitchen that is geared toward this purpose, so they often end up having to buy a lot of ingredients when they decide to actually try cooking something at home. Not only is it a new and challenging experience, it also seems very expensive because one has to buy so many ingredients.

Now, if you ask me, a well-stocked kitchen should include an incredible amount of staples (and that’s not even a full list of what I’d want on hand). But let’s face it: that’s just not realistic for a lot of people who are just getting started with cooking at home. or running a business where food is a primary service. Here in our fortunately rural Whitehall, stocking up on staples is also economical . We dont want to schlep back from Butte or even Whitehall for that matter to discover we forgot milk.

That'll Save You Money too every time you prepare a meal at home, it is less expensive than eating out. When you have staple foods on hand, it is much easier to prepare a meal at home, and thus you are more likely to prepare something at home than to eat out. $100 is actually a very small investment in your kitchen, since it only takes ten or so meals at home instead of eating out to make up for the cost of the staples.

Here’s my shopping list for bare-bones kitchen essentials. If you have these on hand, you should be well-prepared to produce many dishes, and your food shopping should be reduced to buying perishables, including meats and cheeses and fruits and such. Plus, you’ll discover before long how much tastier home-prepared food is.

Baking
Baking powder
Baking soda
Brown sugar (actually useful in many things)
Corn meal
Corn starch
Vanilla
White sugar
Yeast

Herbs and spices
Basil
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Cinnamon
Garlic
Nutmeg
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Salt
Tarragon (maybe not essential, but my favorite spice)
Thyme

Oils, Stocks, Condiments
Beef stock
Chicken stock
Lemon juice
Mustard
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Red wine
Sherry
Soy sauce
Tomato paste
Vegetable oil
Vinegar
White wine

And a couple of kitchen gadgets that we find particularly handy, note serious breakfast bias. First up, we have Henrietta Hen sticking her neck out. here is no mistaking what you use this cooker for. This egg cooker can boil up to eight eggs and poach up to four. When the eggs are done, the cooker "chirps." The insides are dishwasher safe. Available at ProductDose

This Cusinart grill works as both a griddle and an indoor grill. It comes with two sets of interchangeable nonstick grill and griddle plates. You use the flat plates as a panini press or griddle and the ridged plates for contact or open grilling. Form and function. Available at Chefs
I think I'll fire up the griddle since pancakes really are the epitome of a decadent breakfast. Light and fluffy, sweet and doughy they are comfortable and fancy at the same time. Dress them up with some vanilla and a few slices of gorgeously plump blueberries (fresh or frozen) and you have the perfect start to an amazing day.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 ¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
and blueberries
* obviously these would work with almost any fruit: banana, blueberry, blackberry....mmm. Anything works.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl beat the egg slightly, add milk, vanilla and 3 tablespoons oil. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until flour is moistened (clumps are okay!).

2. Heat non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium-high and brush lightly with oil.

3. Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto hot pan, making three pancakes at a time. Top each with blueberry slices and then cook until edges look slightly dry. Turn and cook other side until golden.

4. Keep warm in oven or on warming plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Indulge.

Inn the Kitchen

I was awakened at 4:30 this a.m. probably trying to reposition my albeit better but still sore arm. I noticed a full moon dancing in and out of the clouds and I thought that personifies the light of G-d. You dont always see Him, but He's always there.

Meanwhile in the Inn the Kitchen segment, guests often asked what time I got up in the morning in order to have breakfast ready . I had to admit that I didn’t get up at 4 a.m. even though I did make all of our homemade bread, muffins, pastries, cakes, p pancakes, waffles, granola, omelets, eggs benedict, French toast, etc.

We serve each morning between 8:30 and 10 a.m. Our menus may include fresh fruit, muffins or coffee cake, and a hot entrée. We also offered homemade granola and old-fashioned oatmeal. I arrived in the kitchen at 6:30 or 7 depending on the menu of the day. With the inclusion of the morning walk and bringing in our horses, the key is preparation and planning.

Our 5-day rotation meant creating 5 unique menus with fruit, muffins and entree paired for flavor and balance. If we're serving a heavy sweet French toast, fruit should be light and fresh, preferably unsweetened to balance the sweetness of the entree. A light and airy cheese omelet canbe started (or finished!) cinnamon sticky buns, but if you are going to do something fancy like baked bananas foster, as your fruit you may want to go with simple oatmeal scones instead. You can balance your menus from day to day, serving a savory entree one day and a sweet one the next. Our fruits change with every menu as well. Breakfast imitates life, balance is an essential element of ther menu.

Preparation is the key to making painless breakfasts that look and taste like a big deal but are easy on the chef. While you are cleaning up from breakfast and the oven is still on and the floor has not yet been washed you can prep your wet and dry ingredients for muffins, cakes, pancakes and waffles so that the next morning you only have to mix them together and bake. Yeast based recipes are actually better if risen overnight in the refrigerator. For example, our pecan sticky buns are filled, rolled, cut and then put in the refrigerator to rise overnight. We pull them out at 7 a.m., allow them to return to room temp and then bake as always. This works for bread, coffee cake, even Belgian waffle batter.

Eggs for omelets can be broken, beaten, flavored, and refrigerated the day before. Cheese can be grated and refrigerated as well. You can even poach eggs ahead of time. Chefs doing big hotel brunches poach their eggs the day before. You just cut the poaching time by 1 minute, immediately put the eggs into an ice water bath and refrigerate. When ready to serve just slip the eggs into simmering water for the 1 minute of final cooking and voila! they’re ready to serve. Every innkeeper has a recipe or two for do ahead egg dishes that get prepped the day before and sit overnight in the fridge, and then bake in the morning.

Fresh vegetables and herbs hold very well if cut and bagged the day before. We just take a jaunt down to the greenhouse (in season, of course) Just refrigerate until ready to use. On the other hand, most fruit is best done the day of serving. Save the fresh melon or berries to prep the morning of serving to insure that they are at their best. There are a few fruit dishes like cooked compotes that benefit from aging and can be done a day or two ahead.

Good quality coffee and tea are musts. We use Seattle's Best Organic coffee Organic coffee's part of our green philosophy here at the B&B. For some reason, people equate "organic " anything akin to giving up their favorite food. Au contraire.

Then there's the "unprecedented opportunity for creativity " by planning for the use of leftover ingredients. Leftover unserved sliced fresh peaches become homemade fresh peach preserves with nothing more than the addition of sugar and some slow, back of the stove cooking. They get raves, save money and take almost no effort. We always keep some preserves in the freezer in case there are no leftover peaches. Freeze sauces and preserves in plastic bags laid out flat into a thin rectangle that defrosts in about 30 minutes. Again in our green philosopohy, nothing that can be used is thrown away.

So plan first, then prep ahead. Breakfast will be a pleasure for you and your guests. Anticipate all the little things that can and do happen while you are trying to make a beautiful breakfast. If you are prepared none of this will phase you and your guests will ask, what time did you get up to make this fabulous breakfast?

So tip the innkeeper, what's on your menu?

You Never get a Second Chance

to make a first impression...

One key ingredient in running a successful bed and breakfast is the ability to get along with all types of people who will be staying at your inn. When you operate a bed and breakfast, you become the host (not an owner) who greets and welcomes guests (not clients).

Hospitality is your business. A successful bed and breakfast operation is synoinymous with hospitality . Repeat business and and word of mouth takes on new meaning. Our13 step tips that have worked. Always evolving however.

1.Provide a warm, friendly welcome at the front door.

2. Offer a beverage and/or a light snack after guests have had some time to settle down from their trip.

#3. Be a "fountain of information". As hosts, we're called on to to answer questions about your area and mention nearby attractions and places of interest.

4. Provide guests with a fact sheet listing frequently asked questions and answers about your inn and the surrounding area.

5. Collect brochures and maps for the immediate area as well as other nearby areas of interest. Make these available to your guests at no cost.

6. Collect menus from local restaurants. You may put these in guest rooms or leave them in your lounge area, so that people may browse through them at their leisure. The local restaurants love us!

7. Offer "special touches" that will appeal to a variety of guests, a complimentary bottle of bubbly is standard for honeymooners.

8. Find out when guests arrive what they would prefer as a beverage in the morning, and always have coffee made early. A pot of freshly brewed coffee outside the door in the morning will be a treat for the true coffee drinker.

9. We offer -- (somestimes for an extra fee -- to make special picnic baskets and fisherman lunches for lunch or dinner so that guest may enjoy a special outdoor location.

10. Provide an umbrella stand with loan umbrellas near the door for guests who aren't prepared for bad weather.

11. Set up a special corner in your public lounge area with a variety of games, cards, books and magazines. Provide a variety of reading material in each room.

12. Have extra sample-size toilet articles on hand for your guests, such as shampoo, hand lotion, toothbrushes, razors and toothpaste. You can order a supply of many such items imprinted with your logo to promote your bed and breakfast.

13. Have an area which is easily accessible to guests where they can always find a beverage or snack of some kind. That be the kitchen!

Thirteen Things about YOUR NAME 1…. Start your list here! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

The Circle of Life

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give

(Chorus)
In the Circle of Life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle, the Circle of Life

I've loved this from the Lion King from the first I heard of it; probably because it resonates with me and I can relate to it in so many ways. Finding your way, whatever path you take. For me, it was the path that took me to my childhood dream of living in Montana (ah big sky country) and in recent years; wanting to open a b&B.;

During the past years I'd also been competitive in ultra running and as I'd move up; there'd always be that "f" word..."fear". So when I came across our Alan's post at Made to be Great, it hit home.

Take one "f " word and trade it for another - fear into faith.

"Remember everything is temporal, nothing last forever, that goes for good things as well as bad things. So whatever you are going thru, remember it will also come to pass."

The Circle of Life.

And since the inspiration for "seek and ye shall find" came from our Ben at Startupspark, in his honour, a virtual batch of circle of Life choc chippers to chew on .

Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies

makes about 40 cookies

8 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate , chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (about 4 oz) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks
Melt the 8 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over boiling water. Keep warm.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine the butter in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment until creamy and soft. Add the sugar, then the brown sugar, and mix for a couple more minutes. Add the eggs one a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the melted chocolate, then the hot water, and then the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients in two additions and mix on low just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula. Scrape the dough into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for about an hour or until the dough is firm enough to shape.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. . Using your hands, take a piece of dough and roll in your hands to form an approximately 1-inch ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart on the sheets. It is also a good idea to stagger the rows so the cookies have the most room to spread out.

Bake for about 10 minutes (they will look slightly underdone). Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking. Remove the cookies from the oven and place sheets on cooling racks for several minutes until they have firmed up, then transfer cookies directly to the racks to finish cooling.

I will go out later and circle the indoor arena for a ride on my Alle.
Happy last day of February.

Tips for Managing that Stuff in Your Life

In the Fish Creek Follow up Segment

Now that I've told you to clean up your closets , we all tend to have a lot of clutter. It fills our closets, our basements, our desks. In addition to the stress that can cause, our overstuffed lives present environmental dilemmas. We need bigger homes than our parents and grandparents did, even though our families are smaller. And when we can’t find that seldom-used punch bowl amid the mess, we run out and buy another one—not exactly the most prudent use of our world’s resources.

For a clutter-free house, we need to let go of our “stuff,” organize what remains and avoid acquiring more stuff to take the place of the old. Seems so simple. Why is it so difficult?

Step 1: Lighten Up (Purge)

* Get rid of things you no longer need or want. Sort these items into boxes labeled Recycling, Thrift Store, Friends, Garage Sale. Finding new homes for your items means putting resources in the hands of those who truly need or want them.
* Most folks don’t realize how much they really own. In such cases, it’s easy to get rid of the excess. Benefit also says to eliminate:

1. Things that don’t work
2. Things that annoy you (e.g., a rickety old file cabinet with a stubborn drawer)
3. Things you’re keeping because someone gave them to you

* Before you keep something that might not be worthwhile, I always look at it and think:

1. Do I really love this?
2. How does this item make my life better or easier?
3. Have I used it in the past year?
4. Will I really ever use this again?

* If parting with particular items is stressful, try putting them in a closed box for a trial separation. A year from now, if you haven’t used anything in the box, donate it without even opening it.

Step 2: Sort It Out (Organize)

* Once you’ve eliminated the excess, sort items into laundry baskets or large boxes labeled by purpose: Craft Supplies, Toys, Garden. Use smaller baskets, hampers and boxes to organize the little stuff.
* Store things you use daily or weekly in the most accessible spaces, such as on the middle shelves of your closet or pantry, in the front. Seasonal and holiday items that come out once a year can go in the harder-to-reach attic or top shelves.

Step 3: Keep It Up (Maintain)

* Maintaining a clutter-free life gets easier as you establish new habits. Avoid the urge to buy more stuff; as time goes on, you’ll find it’s second nature to ask, “Do I really need this?”

Some great storage finds I found that protects what's left after the great clean up and the Earth.

The Container Store www.ContainerStore.com bamboo drawer organizers

Lantern Moon www.LanternMoon.com fair trade Vietnamese-made baskets

Orcaboard www.Orcaboard.com deck box and storage bench made from recycled-plastic lumber

Rand www.RandMH.com recycled hopper boxes

Scrapile www.Scrapile.com wood-scrap crates finished with nontoxic oil

The Shelving Store www.Shelving.com recycled-plastic shelf bins

Make room for what really matters.. and you get a jump ons spring cleaning!

Taking my own advice here; while cleaning out our freezer we noticed a bulk of frozen over-ripe green(organic) bananas. Banana muffins were in order to coax myself out in the snowfall; which ended out by being quite serene.

These muffins are low in fat and high in fiber. They are full of carbohydrates but if you’re on a low-carb diet, you shouldn’t be looking for muffin recipes anyway!! They are 100 percent whole grain which means these muffins do contain a good amount of complex carbs (the good ones).

Banana Muffins

1 ½ C. whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur's new Organic White Whole Wheat)
½ C. Oat Bran
½ C. Pecan Meal (1.5 oz ground pecans)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt

2 T. butter, melted
½ C. honey
3 egg whites
1 C. banana
2/3 C. buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 regular-sized muffin cups or line with paper cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (first six ingredients) until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients (last 5 ingredients).
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Immediately spoon batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top.
6. Place immediately in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking early!
7. Turn muffins out of pan and cool on wire rack.
8. Most of all, Enjoy!

The Courage in Fear

Cowardly Lion: Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?
All: Courage!
Cowardly Lion: You can say that again! Huh?

That's one of the greatest scenes in the the Wizard of Oz... how the lion, the scarecrow; each thinking they lacked that magic characteristic; actually personified it. How many times do we tell ourselves we're not this or that... You come to believe it after awhile. The first (of many ) years I'd watch the W of O, when it got to the lion's soliloquoy, I'd always think when will this part be over so we can get back to the good stuff. That was the good stuff as I got older; it became one of my favorite scenes.

It’s the courage that it takes to take on the next challenge, be in taking that leap to starting that dream business; or actually being willing to give your thoroughbred a loose rein to gallop (nicely), or when I thought about moving up from running the 50K to 50 mile distance (nope that's not a typo!) it's about courage. And when I felt that apprehension, uncomfortableness; I knew I was in the right place. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it.. Courage has the power to change your life in a moment. I always said before a race "see you on the other side". I still say that sometimes when I go ride Picken!

So no accident, I was drawn to the Dragonslayer and her Carnival of Courage. I was honoured to be able to contribute to Le Carnival since there's lots of good inspiration as well.

Wizard of Oz Y ou, my friend, are a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away you have no courage; you're confusing courage with wisdom.

Very true and a fine line to be drawn. Recently Kim who knows Picken real well said to me "you are so courageous" and I laughed out loud saying who ME sometimes i feel like what I"m doing is fear-driven rather than courage. She replied saying "it's not that you dont have fear; it's just that you dont let it stop you". Aha!

Today I'm going to ride Picken, but between my owy arm and the fact that she hasnt been ridden now in more than a week; I'm just going to let her get some energy off in our outdoor arena. I think that 'd be the wise choice just in case she decides to pick up too much energy out there and might add insult to injury to the arm. To do otherwise I dont think is courageous ; but might qualify for the "most ridiculous item of the day".

I am going to fortify my courage and our incoming guests with Choc Chip Cookies - these are a variation for you Pen .

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup(130 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Adjust the oven rack to the top 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Make about 20 cookies.

From The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz

Getting ready to head down. Courage, wisdom. See you on the other side.

So where am I going to see you on the other side?

Kindling Kindness

One kind word can warm three winter months."
Author:Japanese Proverb

While the sun is brilliantly shining it's about 10 degrees with wind. I am feeling a little out of sorts with this arm soreness and I miss so riding my Picken but will wait til Monday. And I remembered what Roland my massage therapist said as I was leaving... "be kind to yourself". Thought this appropriate since last week was Acts of Random Kindness week. This is a great website with great info and tools to use in the workplace, classroom and that big classroom, we call "life". Some random acts of quotes used here from their website.

Gemilut Chassadim, the performance of loving-kindness, is so intrinsically a part of Judaism and Jewishness A true act of kindness is one in which you don't receive any thanks or anything in return. Try not to resent others who don't show appreciation. This takes your act of kindness to a new and higher level. Be sure to express appreciation and thanks when someone does something kind for you!

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. "
Author:Confucius

Let others help you when they offer. Laughing out loud, since I'm so independent. That would be allowing myself to have Dan help with the laundry changing for guests . Normally I don that housekeeping hat but for the sake of pain management was grateful for the assistance. Done graciously by Dan I might add.

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Author:Bonnie Jean Wasmund
In the innkeeping business, this is key... I always try to assess each situation see what's wanted and needed and what would be a nice touch. It could be anything from having the barn lit up, stalls ready complete with horse treats if it's folks traveling with their equine companions to something simple as having ... to a freshly brewed pot of java when guests have called saying they'd be late and show up at midnight... or it could be a glass of chardonnay Part of blessings of a being an innkeeper for me.

And last but not least, the Wizard of Oz is when he's presenting the "testimonial" heart to the Tin Woodsman
And remember, my sentimental friend, that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.

Somehow, this one always makes me think of my dad.

And now my act of gemutlich chasidim is a batch of chocolate brownies for both guests and the 4-H shooting kids tomorrow

There are only 5 ingredients, and not one of them involves flour, sugar, or any standard baking ingredient. However, the combination of ingredients come together magically to become a very, very, very good brownie.

Chewy brownies
This recipe is from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of peanut butter (creamy or chunky), and a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly until chocolate melts and the ingredients are well mixed. Next, remove the pan from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of toasted chopped pecans and 2 cups of chocolate graham cracker crumbs.

Press the (very thick) batter into a generously greased 8″x8″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 24 minutes.

Clean Up Your Closets and Your Life Will Work

Housework! That's almost synonymous with being an innkeeper! But I'm talking about housework not only of the home but of hte heart.

Are you living the life you really want to live or thought you would be living 1, 3, 5, 10 years ago? I know that while I'd wanted to move to Montana since I was a young whippersnapper and the dream for the b&B; came much later, I didnt think 5 years ago I'd actually be doing it.

Maybe it’s time to look at your life and take stock and get rid of the clutter.

Have you ever let the house cleaning pile up so much it gets you down for a few weeks? the washing has not been done, the ironing needs done, the garage needs cleaned out, your wardrobes are full of stuff you dont wear, your kitchen drawers are housing letters, book, pills, and other clutter. Then it reaches critical mass (pun intended), you get up on a Saturday morning early and decide that’s it the house is getting cleaned from top to bottom no matter what.

Come 8pm you’ve done it. How did you feel? my guess is you felt great, you spirit was lifted, your mind felt lighter and you had a little more energy even though you had just spend 5-8 hours cleaning. This is your spirit lifting and your perspective changing. Your house was tidy so new possibilities could happen in your life. You could invite people up for dinner because you’re not ashamed of the mess, you could feel good giving some clothes to charity, you felt a weight lifted. There are plenty of reasons you felt better about cleaning the house. Ah... catharsis

Using some of the products here also help to keep not only a clean house but a clean environment. Toss toxicity out with the rest of the garbage.

Well it might be time to clean out your life!

If you're feeling feel a bit low, feel lethargic, feelings "ugh", and your life is lacking direction? You need to look at your life and what you are doing that makes you feel like this. Here are my Four Friday myth busters for your to look at .

Your Job

Are you doing the job you are meant to be doing? If you work full time you spend most of your waking day working. If you hate your job you hate 8-12 hours of your day. If you are doing this every day it adds up to a lot of unhappiness. Change it! I can already hear you thinking ‘yeah right, it’s not that easy’ why is it not that easy? The money is too good, I don’t have any other skills, I’ve been doing it for 30 years there’s nothing else, and I’m too old... blah, blah blah.

Okay I hear all the reasons for not doing it. Answer me this question: If your son, daughter, came to you one day and said they were feeling really lousy and it was because of their job at the restaurant, they didn’t like it and it was getting them down. After listening to them you would more than likely advise them to change jobs. Now, you may say that’s different as they are young, it’s easy to find a different job