Innkeeper Industry Blogposts

As Valentine's Day approaches, it's a great time of year to capitalise on your B&B business and turn a profit with a bit of clever marketing and these inspirational ideas.

When it's cold outside, wake up your bed and breakfast guests the right way with these warming winter breakfast recipes.

Attracting customers from a younger generation is always a challenge. Here are some great ways to attract a more youthful audience to your B&B or guest house.

Susan Poole, owner of 40 Bay Street Bed & Breakfast and The B&B Coach, shares her experience and expertise on how new B&B owners can brainstorm and problem solve.

Managing a B&B isn't easy when it's cold outside. Here is a guide to help you operate your bed and breakfast and improve your productivity in the winter.

I love gadgets. Drop me off at a kitchen store and I will spend hours going from one corner to the next discovering all the new inventions out there to make my life easier. I don't usually buy much because, in the end,I many things are just as easy done the old way.
There are notable exceptions. The microplane is something I will not do without and actually replace them with a new shiny one almost every year. My newest favorite is one I have been looking at for a long long time but kept thinking, why spend the money when you can really do this just fine by hand.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I was in this amazing Restaurant Store near Lancaster PA, (The Resturant Store by Clark Restaurant Equipment)  I love it there, much like my husband loves hardware stores, this to me is an afternoon of pure bliss. I saw lots of things I sure would love and could use but in the end came home with this little yellow lemon squeezer, some small glasses for individual trifles and a few small odds and ends. In the weeks that followed I have totally fallen in love with this lemon squeezer thingy. Granted, I use a lot of citrus. Lemons, limes, oranges.... all of them go into baked goods, drinks and fruit recipes. We do lemon brandied apples often this time of year and this little gadget has made that process a snap.. and no seeds.
If you are looking for a nice little hostess gift for a friend who loves to cook, this is the ticket. Find them at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, William Sanoma or any old kitchen store.  Buy a few. You will love them as much as I do.

Stay tuned to the 8Broads for more favorite gadgets. In March I am visiting the International Housewares Show in Chicago. I am positive there will be a "must have" something there that I will be dying to share.




Swiss Woods Bed and Breakfast
http://www.swisswoods.com
 Debbie Mosimann
 one of the... 8 Broads in the Kitchen

Last week the grocery store carried fresh quince, so I bought one. I had no idea what to do with a quince, so my first move was to ask the 8 Broads. The primary two responses were to use quince for jelly or applesauce. Last night I experimented, and today a fresh batch of Quince Apple Chutney was served atop Whole Wheat Pancakes. Plates licked clean. This dish is perfect as a winter fruit appetizer or side dish, too.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 quince, grated
2 apples (granny smith or braeburn), peeled, cored and diced
1/4 sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


 DIRECTIONS
 Put all ingredients in a small heavy saucepan, and cook over low heat. Stir occasional, and cook until the apples become slightly translucent. Remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled.

Lookout Point Lakeside Inn
 http://www.LookoutPointInn.com  
Kristie Rosset
Bed and Breakfast Foodie

Guest author David Mitchell from Webmarketing4hoteliers talks about the value of guest reviews for your B&B website.

Want Free WiFi? Book a B&B: http://www.betterwaytostay.com/want-free-wi-fi-book-a-bb/

TripAdvisor unveils Travelers' Choice best hotels awards: http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/01/tripadvisor-travelers-choice-awards

The Evolving Nature of Today's Road Warriors: http://www.cnbc.com/id/45976110

Dates set for the 2012 New England Innkeeping Show: http://www.newenglandinnkeepingshow.com

WORDS of 100™ is Available Online: http://www.wordsof100.com/reports/b-and-b-owners-innkeepers/

TripAdvisor Abandons List of Dirty Hotels: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/business/tripadvisor-abandons-list-of-dirtiest-hotels.html?_r=2

Four Tips to Keep Your Website Ahead of the Curve in 2012: http://mashable.com/2012/01/15/tips-and-trends-web-2012/

What are the most important travel trends this year, and what can you do about them? Here are the four most important trends for UK B&B owners to watch out for in 2012.

The internet is awash with information about the latest social media outlet or YouTube video. Here are 10 amazing websites to help you learn about the internet.

Take control of your B&B with this 7 day de-clutter guide and both your mind and business will feel more organised!

On Sundays after church, I used to love going out to eat and often ordered the Monte Cristo Sandwich. Yum! But as an innkeeper, I do not deep-fry anything. So in seeking a lower-fat alternative, we created these tasty sandwiches that our guests and staff love. Of course, a slight name change was in order, too. :)  Think of this dish as a savory French Toast.

 
INGREDIENTS

8 thick slices, French bread
4 eggs
1 cup milk
dash of salt and pepper
1/2 pound deli turkey, thinly sliced
1/2 pound deli ham, thinly sliced
4 slices provolone cheese

Raspberry Jam

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk eggs, milk and salt and pepper.
Place 3 thin slices of turkey atop a slice of bread, add one slice provolone cheese, then top with 3 thin slices of ham. Top with 2nd piece of bread. Dip sandwiches into egg batter, allowing bread to soak up egg mixture. Place on medium hot griddle until golden, then turn and cook on other side until golden brown.

To finish the sandwiches, bake for 4-5 minutes by placing sandwiches on a rack on a baking sheet in 350 degree oven.

To serve, cut in half and sprinkle with powdered sugar. These sandwiches are great dipped in raspberry jam, so serve a small ramekin of jam. Herb roasted potatoes are a great companion.

Serves: 4 persons


Lookout Point Lakeside Inn
http://www.LookoutPointInn.com  
Kristie Rosset
Bed and Breakfast Foodie

Sylvie, our Inn Kitchen Queen, loves to find a way to make things easier (and better) in the kitchen.  (She is the person who tried the avocado "swim" and it certainly worked!)
We are using more and more pomegranates.  We love them for their flavor; their healthiness; their easy accessibility and of course, their crunch!  Sylvie removed the seeds so easily the other day. We wanted to share it.
DIRECTIONS
Place a pomegranate on the cutting board and cut the fruit in half cross-wise.  In other words, you want the stem at the bottom and top.  Cut through the middle.
In a good sized bowl, give the fruit a really good "rap" on the bowl and voila!  The seeds will end up in the bowl.
Couldn't be easier!  If you have more seeds than you can use at the moment, just freeze.

The William Henry Miller Inn http://www.millerinn.com Lynnette Scofield Bed and Breakfast Foodie