A Behind the Scenes Look at the Bayfront Marin House

The hub and I dreamed about owning a bed and breakfast for 14 years, finally buying the beautiful Bayfront Marin House last September 1 (our year anniversary is coming up, if you wanted to send flowers!!)

During those 14 years, I did all sorts of things that I thought would be helpful to me in my new career. Things like:

• trying a new breakfast recipe every time we hosted a large group of people. I made breakfast burritos on Cinco de Mayo, French toast on Bastille day (it's best if you use Mexican vanilla and soak the bread slices overnight). I made homemade granola, muffins of all shapes and flavors, waffles, scrambles, omelettes, and maple-syrup baked bacon. Most of the time, these experiments were awesome. However, I'd like to take a moment to personally apologize to the family members who were forced to endure a batch of asiago scones that could have been used to build a retaining wall (I improved as I went along--the scones were an early venture into fancy breakfast baking).
• peppering my Christmas and birthday lists with cookbooks of every type. I got recipe books from bnbs around the country; I got all of Williams Sonoma's books on breakfast. I dug out all of the church cookbooks I had gotten in my hope chest (where I found a bunch of family recipes--thank you Mammy for submitting your raised cake recipe in 1972!!) I also got lots of good dessert recipe collections--The Mrs. Fields I Love Chocolate Collection, Semi Homemade Desserts, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Secrets, etc.
• yelling at Mike every time we made a bed together, insisting he learn how to make hospital corners and keep his pillows EXACTLY even with the pillows I fluffed on my side of the bed. (Note: the key to always winning this "discussion" is to fluff your pillows first, and then let the other person try to match yours).
• keeping an extensive idea book. Every time my job sent me to a high end hotel, I always tried to "steal" two or three great ideas that I could use someday in my own high end bnb. For instance, one of the hotels I visited had free postcards for people to fill out and mail, complete with a picture of the hotel on them (I'm working on the artwork for that now). One of them left little notes for us about our special occasion--which is why we now do that (assuming we know about it--we always love it when guests tell us if it's their anniversary or birthday!) We're still working on implementing all of the ideas...but they're all carefully preserved in my little book!

Anyway, for years (14 years, in fact) I worked on perfecting my skills to be a perfect, skilled bed and breakfast owner.

And then I bought an inn that was so large (15 rooms) it came with a complete staff. A staff with mad skills, who put my little amateur skills to shame!!

That's how I became the head gardener at the Inn (no one else wanted to do it, and they were all too busy anyway). And head blogger. Other than those two areas, they completely leave me in their dust (or lack of dust--you should see these women clean!)

Which is why it was a huge surprise to find myself cooking a whole oven-ful of bacon strata yesterday. The whole story is that Mary, our amazingly talented cook, went to the Inn at o'dark thirty, only to realize that the oven (pretty necessary for bacon strata), didn't heat up!!

So she called us in a panic, and the next thing you knew she was bringing the casserole pans over to my house. And dropping them off.

Other than making desserts, and strawberry soup once or twice, it's the most cooking I've done for the Inn (and technically, I still haven't made breakfast for our guests--all the strata were already made, just not cooked).

We took the strata back to the Inn at 7:55 (the first guest was eating at 8). Three of our staff came out to the car, all wearing oven mitts (I'm telling you, these ladies are always a step ahead of us!)

And the crisis was averted. (And a financial crisis was avoided as well...the appliance repair company--the amazing Appliance Technicians--fixed the oven for under $100!!)

Back to business as usual--the Eggs Benedict were completed this morning without any excitement!!

Gimme Some More: The Ice Cream of the Day in Saint Augustine

Today is National S'mores Day! (Read more here: http://www.holidayinsights.com/other/smoresday.htm).

In honor of that, we're serving up Gimme Some More Smore ice cream tonight at the inn.(As a reminder, we're serving Mike's homemade ice cream every Wednesday night in July and August).

Last night, we took graham crackers and covered them in chocolate, then froze them and broke them up into bite-sized pieces. We then swirled these into a chocolate ice cream, along with massive amounts of marshmallow and caramel. I tasted it this morning, and it's pretty darn awesome.

If you're in the area, stop by our dining room tonight for a taste. We can almost guarantee that you'll want us to Give You Some More!!!

PARK It Today!!

July is National Parks and Recreation month ( for more information, visit http://www.nrpa.org/july/).

Saint Augustine, as usual, is celebrating in style, with free admission to all of our parks today!

That includes our town's very cool forts--the Castillo de San Marco and Fort Matanzas (the latter is pictured above). Sure, these huge stone structures were originally built to keep people out of the nation's oldest city, but today they're dropping down the drawbridge and welcoming all to enjoy.

So pack up a peanut butter sandwich and a bottle of wine, and let's plan a picnic lunch--there's a breeze off the water and the sun is absolutely gorgeous.

See you at the parks!!

Crepe Exectations

A hearty "dobro pozhalovatʹ" (that's "Welcome" in Russian) to Margarita Abramov, the owner of the newly opened Sara's Crepes Cafe (at 100 St. George Street, http://www.sarascrepecafe.com/).

The hub and I visited right after the restaurant opened last week; we had seen advance notice of the opening and wanted to check it out.

The restaurant itself is adorable, with cheery yellow walls, a collection of blue and white pottery in the corner, and great Paris flea market lamps hanging from the tin ceiling. When we went last week, there was a Russian dance performance playing on a large flat screen television.

And Margarita herself--who is beautiful with black hair and the most striking eyes--is a wonderful presence at the cafe, visiting with each table, refilling water and soda glasses and generally just making sure that everything is perfect.

I started with a very good split pea soup, garnished with smoky ham pieces, and the hub had a nice-sized caesar salad. I mention "nice-sized" because when you see the prices, you will wonder if the servings are child-sized. (The crepe I got, for instance, was $4.95). My crepe--the Napoleon--was filled with more of the smoked ham and topped with a house-made hollandaise sauce (not too much, which suited me perfectly). The hub had the Count Amaury ($6.95) which had beef tips, mushrooms, and a black truffle and thyme demi glace. We both liked them.

We didn't have time for dessert, but the hub visited again yesterday and sampled some fantastic banana chocolate crepes. So make sure you save room when you visit! (The cafe is hosting an opening party tonight from 5:00 - 6:30).

Sara's (the restaurant is named for Margarita's grandmother) is open for breakfast lunch and dinner and they have indoor and outdoor seating (we sat indoors and enjoyed the a/c). Order from the menu, or make your own crepe for a truly unique experience.

How to Bed and Breakfast: Six Steps to Maximizing Your BnB Vacation

As I write this, our Bayfront Marin House has 365 reviews on TripAdvisor.

I read (and respond) to every one of them. But as I've been reading them for the last few weeks, I've noticed a trend--there is a large number of reviewers who start their review by saying "We've never stayed at a bed and breakfast before." A large number of those newbies then say something like "We didn't know what to expect." (Of course, they then all talk about how much they enjoyed their stay, how wonderful the service is, what amazing staff we have--I could go on all day, but feel free to read them yourself  here).

That got me to thinking: what is so intimidating about staying at a bed and breakfast? If you're not yet a member of the bnb club, what do you need to know?

Here's what I would tell my best friend, if she wanted to know the "secret handshake" for bed and breakfast veterans.

1. Know what you want. If you've stayed at hotels your entire life, you probably have a favorite one (and maybe even a favorite chain). Why do you like it? Is it fancy and formal, with a formal lobby and a telephone in the bathroom? (Side note: what is that for, anyway?) Is it chic and sleek, with modern art and a hip bar?  Is it laid back and fun, with a complimentary happy hour thrown by the manager? Are you into homey and comfortable, the kind of place that greets you with a cookie and encourages you to borrow a book from their shelves?

Just like hotels have different personalities, so do bed and breakfasts.

Let me rephrase that. Just like hotels can have one of about six different personalities (your Westins, Marriotts, Country Inn and Suites, funky boutiques, Holiday Inns, and Super 8s), bed and breakfasts have one of 18,000 personalities (that's how many bnb's Wikipedia says are in North America).

So figure out which one of those 18,000 personalities best matches your vacation needs, and book a room immediately.

If you're not sure which one is right for you (it can be hard to tell from websites), call the bnb and simply ask what the atmosphere is. The owner will be happy to tell you--and you'll get a sense of it from his or her demeanor on the phone, as well. The beauty of staying in a unique bnb--rather than a standard hotel--is that you can find one that fits you perfectly.

2. Once you're here, talk to people. Or not. Hey...this is *your* vacation. You had to finagle time away from your job, you had to sign the credit card slip. One nice thing about staying at a bed and breakfast is the wide variety of interesting people who stay there too (they're as unique and interesting as you are, of course), and it's easy to start a conversation with another traveler. But if you just want to reconnect with your traveling partner, or be alone with your innermost thoughts in a relaxing and beautiful place, that's completely cool too. The best bnb owners will allow you to do either...or any combination of the two.

3. Ask what's free. You already know about some of the bnb's amenities--it's pretty obvious if you have a Jacuzzi tub in the room, or a fireplace, or a balcony. But bed and breakfasts are the most generous places to stay--they give away what other places usually charge for. You may find that your bed and breakfast offers free wifi, or free bikes that you can borrow, or beach chairs/towels/umbrellas. There might be coffee and/or snacks available every day, or a happy hour. They could offer free parking. Ask for a quick list of what's available, ask what you need to do to use the amenities (do you have to sign up? sign a form? just ask at the front desk?), and use them. Then try not to look pity-ingly at the other visitors in town who are paying for all the things you get for free.

4. Ask what's cool. Bed and breakfast owners and employees love to interact with guests. But we don't want to be pests. Generally, I walk around at breakfast and happy hour and ask people if everything is perfect, and if there's anything I can get them that would make it more perfect. The couples who want to talk will typically respond with a lengthier answer, and we can go from talking about another glass of sangria to talking about my favorite secret bike path, or the best beach to go to in the morning, or the restaurant with the most amazing bread pudding. (For a whole blog on how to find the best restaurant for you, click here). We're locals, and we're glad to share our inside information about what we think is the coolest stuff in town. That means you get the coolest vacation ever.

5. Ask, ask, ask. We are bed and breakfast owners because we like to make people happy. Our employees are bed and breakfast people because they like to see people smile. (Trust me, none of us are doing it for the great salary!!) So ask us for help. If you're sunburnt, ask if we have aloe vera lotion; if you want to go somewhere for jazz, ask us for suggestions; if you want to learn how to make our delicious strawberry soup, ask us for the recipe. When people ask us for things, we feel good. And when we can help you with your request, we both feel good!!

6. Relax. Staying at a bed and breakfast is not brain surgery--it's pretty simple, really. Just check in, grab a cozy spot on the patio (or the living room or the garden), lean back, and relax. Going on vacation shouldn't be hard--and if you follow the steps above, not only will it be easy--it will be awesome!!!

I Scream for Ice Cream (Every Wednesday in July and August)

1984 was great, wasn't it?

No, I'm not talking about the book that we had to all read in junior high, I mean the actual year. I remember it well:  Torvill and Dean were ice dancing with the Olympic stars in Sarajevo; the first Mac was introduced, and I was finally a senior in high school (look out, you little punk freshmen!).

Good times.

To put the cherry on the top of the best.year.ever., President Ronald Reagan declared that every July from 1984 forward would officially be ice cream month.

Ahhhh...a dairy farmer's daughter's dream.

Actually, on the scale of ice cream lovers, I'm only about a 7. I would have thought that I was a 10, but then I met my husband, who completely blew the curve for the rest of us.

He LOVES ice cream. Don't believe me? I'm not making this up...when we go grocery shopping together, and I'm standing at the line and can't find him, he is ALWAYS in the ice cream aisle, just "visiting his friends", he says. He likes to see the new flavors, check out any new treats.

About 15 years ago, he realized that he loves to make his own ice cream as well.

Of course, he doesn't like to make vanilla. Or anything with less than 3 add-ins, really. He likes to make Kahlua Mocha Chocolate Cherry Crunch, for instance, which is a mocha ice cream, dried bing cherries (you're going to laugh, but he dehydrates them himself), Kahlua of course, and those little black chocolate things that are between the layers of Carvel ice cream cakes (we are the only people in the world who ever bought just a quart of the crunchies). He also makes a great banana Oreo, which is a simpler one to say, but no less delicious.

This year, in honor of ice cream month (and all the ice cream lovers out there), we're making homemade ice cream every Wednesday at the inn and serving it at our happy hour (5-7, every night). If you swing by tonight, you can sample some "Girl Scout Shout Out", which is a chocolate ice cream, with drizzles of caramel and gobs of marshmallow, swirled with crunchy pieces of Girl Scout Samoa cookies.

I shouldn't have to tell you it's good. In fact, it's really, really good.

1984 good.

See you at the dessert table!!

NOTE: Because we love ice cream so much, we actually plan to make it every Wednesday in July and August. So if you can't make it this month, next month will work too!!

Strawberry Soup for You!!

As most of you know, I am only a part-time bnb owner.

Well, I'm a full-time owner, I suppose, but only a part-time worker. (And there are some who would say that I'm only a part-time part-time employee!)

While the hub is at the inn every day, laughing with our guests, sampling the newest dessert recipes, and generally having a pretty good time, I spend my weekdays slaving over a hot computer, working for Farm Credit in Maryland. Sometimes, I'm slaving away in my home office in St. Auggie, and sometimes, I'm slaving away at my office office in Maryland (in fact, as I write this, I'm watching the clock because I have a 7:25 flight I have to catch for Baltimore).

Last week, I was in Maryland, visiting with our local members of Congress. As part of Farm Credit's legislative outreach, we hold an event called "A Taste of Farm Credit." The deal is, we bring in tons of local food and produce (eggs, beef, , chicken, potatoes, cheeses, strawberries, blueberries, lettuces, etc) and ask a local chef to turn it into magic. (Which he does).

One of my favorite things he makes is a chilled strawberry soup. He serves it in tiny plastic cups, like the kind you might use for mouthwash. It's usually at the end of the buffet, and I often skip everything else and just go to the strawberry soup station (since I'm talking and taking photos, it's easy to eat on the run).

Well...last week, our caterer made his famous strawberry soup. And I had *one* teeny tiny container of it.

I decided I needed more than that. So I made a big pot of soup last night (enough to fill a gallon pitcher this morning). And I shared it with our guests, serving it in champagne glasses (since we didn't have any soup bowls--you don't serve a lot of soup for breakfast!)

And there was none left over for me!! (Seriously, there were 2 flutes left, and I saved them for guests who asked if they could try the soup later today).

It looks like I'll be making chilled strawberry soup again next week. (And I'm quadrupling the recipe this time!!)

If you'd like to try to make this at home, here is Chef Dale Hawkins' recipe, with a couple of tweaks by me. 

Enjoy!!

Sandy's Summer Chilled Strawberry Soup

2 pt fresh strawberries
1-1/2 teaspoon instant tapioca
1 c orange juice (I use the fresh juice we serve at the inn)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I use fresh lemon juice, but go a little light on it so it's not too tart)
1 dash cinnamon (I'm not sure what a dash is, so I use a pinch between my thumb and forefinger and then "dash" it into the pot, sometimes talking in a french accent)
1 dash allspice (again, a "pinch" "dashed" into the pot)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
sliced strawberries or limes for presentation

Process strawberries in a blender or food processor until berries are pureed. In a medium saucepan (or larger stock pot if you double or quadruple the recipe), combine pureed strawberries, tapioca, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered over moderate head until mixture is thickened. The time for this varies; it may take one hour. Stir frequently.

Remove the soup from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Refrigerate the mixture until well chilled. (I cool it overnight).

Add the buttermilk, and mix well with the whisk. Taste, and if it makes your mouth pucker (sometimes those strawberries are tart), I still in a little more buttermilk and a sprinkling of sugar.

Serve soup garnished with lime slices and/or sliced strawberries. Or just pour it into a champagne flute, and toast the start of the day!!

Tell me how it turns out! (Or join us next weekend to try mine!)