Monthly Archives: January 2010

Beef Wellington for Innkeepers of Dellroy Ohio Bed and Breakfast

January 30, 2010 – 8:06 pm

Today the temperature is a very cold 16 degrees outside, ice has formed on the entire lake, snow is covering the ground and it’s very cloudy. Our memories take us back to last September when the sky was blue, the sun was shining, the lake breeze made little ripples and it was in the high 70′s. On that day we were invited by Bill Rini and his wife Dawn to dinner at their Atwood Lake summer home. We were very excited because Bill is a renown chef from the Cleveland, Ohio area who owns A Taste of Excellence. They have three lovely children and a dog, but this September day their children were with grand parents.

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen at Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast, so I was especially thrilled at the thought of having dinner served to me.

We began our wonderful dinner with, as you can see the most unusual plating of a salad that we had ever seen. The rose was shaped with tomato skin, the huge croutons were exceptional as well as the hollowed out cucumber filled with tomato salsa and drizzled with his home made caesar dressing. Then came the masterpiece – beef wellington with a mound of garlic mashed potatoes, perfectly steamed asparagus, all swimming in a plate of his made from scratch gravy.

Can you tell from the photo that it tastes as good as it looks? Yes, that is chef Bill sitting down to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Bill’s wife Dawn, my husband Bill and myself were so immersed in eating we almost forgot to snap this picture.

Chef Bill then took us all for a boat ride on his pontoon. It was a beautiful night, the air was cool and there were just a few boats passing us by. When we returned to their lake house, we finished off the night with an apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream – delicious.

Another piece of the story is Bill and Dawn were our guests at Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast on several occasions. They fell in love with Atwood Lake and purchased a home right on the water. They have become great friends and we really enjoy their energy level.

Thank you Bill and Dawn, it was a night to remember.

Do you have a memorable food experience to share? What is your favorite restaurant?

Hope to see you soon,
Linda
Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast
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Atwood Lake Bed and Breakfast Carroll County Ohio lodging Romantic Bed and Breakfast scenery Specials

Bed & Breakfast Getaway, Atwood Lake Ohio

January 13, 2010 – 7:50 pm

WinterGreen Vacations – Your winter vacation can help protect American wilderness areas.

From the Sierras to the Smokies, from “sea to shining sea” and all the wild places in between, America’s wilderness is an indelible part of our national heritage and an important legacy to pass on to our children.

Pristine, undeveloped wilderness is important – not only in its own right, but for the clean air and water, recreation, and wildlife habitat it provides all of us.

But these wild places are constantly under pressure and need protection in order to thrive.

And now there is a new program that makes it easy for winter travelers to support those remaining wilderness areas – WinterGreen Vacations.

The idea is simple. Stay at Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast in Dellroy, Oh from January through March, 2010, and they will donate 2% of your lodging of two-day stays or longer to The Wilderness Society to protect these spectacular places.

The beta-test of the program is starting with a select group of small, eco-friendly and independently owned inns and Bed and Breakfast’s across the country. The goal is be national in 2011, with hopefully thousands of such eco-sensitive lodging facilities participating.

Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast is a small 9-room inn overlooking the beautiful lush landscape and scenic views of Atwood Lake in the rolling hills of Carroll County, a naturally beautiful environment. Their warm and inviting guest rooms feature a 2-person whirlpool tub, electric fireplace and private balcony for admiring the hillside views, lake, gardens and wildlife. The man made ponds, waterfalls and streams are its own eco-system where the fish live in recycled chemical free water cleared with natural barley. They are also a Select Registry Inn, which represents only 400 quality assured, inspected inns and Bed & Breakfasts in North America

“We are all committed to protecting these wild, beautiful areas of our country,” said Linda Horn, owner of Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast. “And we are honored to work with The Wilderness Society in what we hope will become a major annual program generating strong financial support for their outstanding work. We are excited to support the wilderness treasures of America through our participation in WinterGreen Vacations.”

Founded in 1935, The Wilderness Society’s mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. From writing and passing the landmark Wilderness Act to winning lasting protection for more than 109 million acres of permanent wilderness across the country to date, The Wilderness Society is America’s premier public lands conservation organization. TWS and its 500,000 members and supporters are dedicated to protecting America’s wilderness and to developing a nationwide network of these iconic wild lands through public education, scientific analysis and advocacy.

“The Wilderness Society is always looking for innovative opportunities to increase public awareness and generate support for America’s wild places,” said Sally Adams, Vice-President of Communications and Marketing, The Wilderness Society. “We’re very excited about working with WinterGreen Vacations to pilot what could become an important program to help people not only enjoy this country’s beautiful wilderness areas, but to support them in a direct way.”

We hope you can take part in this program and we look forward to donating a portion of your lodging. If you are not able to visit during these months, I would enjoy hearing from you regarding your thoughts on this program.

Hope to see you soon,
Linda
Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast
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Atwood Lake Bed and Breakfast Carroll County Recipes

Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs Recipe

January 8, 2010 – 9:16 pm

On cold, snowy winter days in Ohio I find myself in the kitchen trying new recipes, whether it’s for our over night guests or just for Bill and I. Bill is always the lucky recipient of being the taste tester, a job he will never relinquish.

Today I made slow roasted beef short ribs. In looking for a recipe I went through all my cookbooks, and the food magazines I had sitting on my desk as well as online to the food network. I found quite a few, but decided to combine them to create my very own recipe. The picture speaks for itself. They were as delicious as they look. I thought I would share the recipe for you to make on a cold winter day.

Dredge the ribs in a little bit of seasoned flour. I used sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Sear in pan in hot oil until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
To the same pan, add 1 heaping cup of chopped onions, chopped celery and chopped carrots and cook until nicely caramelized. About the last 5 minutes add 6 cloves of chopped garlic.
Add 1 cup of your favorite dry red wine, and fresh or dried rosemary and thyme. Simmer until reduced about 3/4.
Add 2 cups good beef broth (I use the organic Pacific brand, it’s delicious).
Place the short ribs back into the baking dish and place into a 300 degree oven.
Braise or slow cook for 3 hours.

They are as fork tender as can be. I served them with a side of garlic mashed yukon potatoes and a fresh salad with home made dressing.

An absolutely warming cold weather dinner. Tonight we sat out in the sun room with soft lighting so we could watch the snow falling over Atwood Lake – what a beautiful sight.

I would enjoy hearing about your winter day cooking or baking adventures and trying out your recipe.

Hope to see you soon,
Linda
Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast
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Atwood Lake Bed and Breakfast Romantic Bed and Breakfast Specials

Romantic Ohio Bed and Breakfast Valentine’s Day

January 8, 2010 – 5:48 pm

Hard to believe, but Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and our guest rooms are filling up fast.

In 2002 Whispering Pines was voted by Arrington’s Bed and Breakfast Journal the ‘Best B&B for Kissing’, and we have tried to keep up the tradition. When you arrive there will always be home made chocolate chip cookies in your room and a large selection of organic teas. Cozy up in front of the electric fireplace toasting with a bottle of wine. Have a quiet romantic dinner at any one of a number of outstanding restaurants in the area. Return to the Inn and relax in a warming 2-person whirlpool tub. Wow, it really doesn’t get any better than this, except that we have added a special Valentine’s Day package for you to enhance your romantic visit.

In honor of celebrating 20 years of celebrating Valentine’s Day at Whispering Pines, we have created two amazing packages for your special celebration. You pay for the guest room and choose either package 1 or package 2. This is available for the entire month of February.

1) Reserve a relaxing and soothing massage for two for the price of one. Tax and gratuity not included.

2) Included at no extra charge, a romantic CD, chocolate champagne truffles, small plate of cheese and crackers, bottle of non-alcoholic wine and two wine glasses etched with Whispering Pines.

Every day at Whispering Pines is romantic for couples, but Valentine’s Day is a special day during the year to celebrate your love.

Would love to hear your most memorable Valentine’s Day celebration.

Hope to see you soon,
Linda
Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast
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Atwood Lake Bed and Breakfast Ohio lodging Packages scenery

Ohio Bed & Breakfast Snow Package

January 4, 2010 – 3:41 pm

Woke up to another day of snow falling in the Atwood Lake Region at Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast. I’m sure we would all rather have sunshine and 75 degree temperatures, but this is January and the season calls for snow. I took this photo from the deck of the inn looking out at the barn. It really is beautiful. Soon there will be deer tracks all over including right on our brick patio adjacent to the light post.

Winter season is a great time to visit Whispering Pines because you can accomplish a real rest, relax and rejuvenation. Choose your guestroom and bring a novel to read, we have lots of board games to play and soft music to listen to. Order a massage with a 20% off coupon, we’ll include a 20% off coupon for dinner at the restaurant of your choice and offer you a complimentary bottle of non-alcoholic wine and small cheese plate for your evening snack.

If you want some activity, the walking trails at the park are open and you can schedule horseback riding in the afternoon. Warther’s Museum is always a treat and visiting Lehman’s Hardware.

How do you like to spend a snowy wintry day? If you have other suggestions for combining a snowy day package at Whispering Pines, let me know and I’ll be happy to customize one for you.

Hope to see you soon,
Linda
Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast
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