CHEF'S CORNER!

Inn guests asked for my 'Baked Maple French Toast' recipe today. Great brunch item.. can prepare in advance and freeze! You will need a 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350. Yield: 8-10 servings Recipe: Ingredients: 1 lg. loaf cinnamon/raisin bread or 2 sm. loaves (sliced into 1" fingerlike pieces) ~ 6 oz. cream cheese ~ 1/3 cup maple syrup (divided in half) ~ 10 lg. eggs ~ 1/2 stick butter (softened) ~ 2-1/2 cups milk ~ teas. vanilla ~ 1/2 cup brown sugar ~ cinnamon ~ walnuts (optional) Method: combine butter, cream cheese and half of the maple syrup - heat in microwave until softened to a creamy mixture - about 30 seconds - mix well w/fork. Place sliced bread side by side in the pan until you've filled it. Spread cream cheese mixture across top of bread. Whisk eggs, milk & remaining syrup and pour over top. Using a fork or whatever, move the bread slightly to allow egg mixture to penetrate through. Sprinkle the brown sugar across the top of egg mixture. Gently pat down to make bread uniform within the pan and not sitting above the edge. Dust with a little cinnamon & nuts, if you like. Cover w/foil and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake for 40-45 minutes depending on your oven. Shouldn't be soupy. Cut into triangles and serve hot w/a light dusting of powdered sugar. fyi: freezes very well -
take right from freezer to preheated oven and bake uncovered about as long depending on your oven. Bon Appetit! p.s. I would love your comments.

HEADS UP!

Innkeepers ~ aspiring or otherwise, I've found an excellent resource for you. Check out http://innkeepersresource.typepad.com/. Good info. Excellent tips. To do or not do. What's happening at other Inns or B&Bs. Ways to make more $ in 2010. Inn tune-up in order? Have a look.

CHEF'S CORNER!

FYI: Do you use non-stick fry pans? Want to go green? Crate & Barrel is offering 'Green Pan'. The first environmentally safe non-stick pan and no hot spots! Designed for electric, gas and ceramic stovetops. The Thermolon ceramic-based technology provides a scratch-resistant, PFOA- and PTFE-free surface that will not
deteriorate when sauteing, frying and searing at high heats. Fifty percent fewer greenhouse gases are emitted during the manufacture of 'Green Pan'. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at the price ~ $45-$60. Check them out at http://crateandbarrel.com. I would love to hear how you like them!

CHEF'S CORNER!

Discovered a very interesting chicken broth the other day called 'Thai Coconut Curry'. Apparently it is new by College Inn. It comes in a 32 oz. box with NO msg. A very nice blend of chicken broth, coconut, curry, garlic & coriander. I decided to give it a try. To 2 cups of a combination of brown & wild rice, I added enough broth to cover rice, covered it and cooked over medium heat. It needed 30 minutes (it could have gone longer) but I like it crunchy. I rough-chopped one medium vidalia onion and sauteed in olive oil. When browned, I added 3 good-sized cloves of garlic, roughly chopped and cooked for another minute. I wanted to use up a few veggies that were beginning to look a little under the weather, so in went the fresh broccoli crowns, a handful of grape tomatoes & some scallion greens. Lastly, I added a few frozen shrimp and the rice. omg. First of all, I was soooo surprised with the intense flavor the broth imparted to the rice as it boiled down. The recipe easily made enough for two. Give it a try. I would love to hear how you used it! p.s. We had a bottle of Sterling Sauvignon Blanc with it ~ oh, yeah. Life is good. Bon Appetit!

CHEF'S CORNER!

If you would like to try a great pinot noir, check out David Bruce. It's definitely worth its $20 something price tag. It was a birthday gift from a former personal chef client who really knows her wine.

FYI: it will go very well with pork or chicken dishes, grilled flank steak, as well as, Paella ~ one of my personal all time favorites, which I prepared for us. We thoroughly enjoyed the combination. Bon Appetit!

Discovered a tasty wine lately and would like to share your experience?

VISIT!

www.pennyduncancreations.com for this background and header and dozens more!

EARTH DAY'S 40th ANNIVERSARY IS APRIL 22nd. READY, SET, RECYCLE...

*Garden with Cardboard.. Corrugated cardboard-unbleached, no glue, no staples, no dyes-can go in gardens, between rows of plants, to block weeds, retain moisture. Top with mulch. In a year or two, it will degrade.
*Clean Naturally.. diluted vinegar fights grime; a hint of lemon improves the aroma (avoid marble & granite w/this acidic mix)
*Recharge Batteries.. switch to long-lived rechargeables.
*Donate Eye Glasses.. Lionsclubs.org will guide you to the nearest drop-off for old spectacles.
*New Bounce for Tennis Balls.. Rebounces.com pays shipping for batches of 250-plus used balls in decent shape, to be repressurized & resold. Retirement homes may take smaller-scale donations. Balls are suitable caps for walker legs.
*Old cell phones & most brands of ink cartridges are in demand for recycling. Therecyclingfactory.com and greenphone.com cover shipping and pay for your phone (or donate to charity in your name). They also take phone chargers.
*Melt Old Crayons.. most are petroleum-based, so recycling helps. See crazycrayons.com for one option: mail-in stubs are molded into new crayons and odd shapes for sale. Or parents can microwave stubs in a paper cup in 15-second stints. Meltage hardens into a multihued crayon.
*Control Catalogs.. at catalogchoice.org prune duplicate & unwanted catalogs or limit delivery to, say, holiday time.
*Filter out Filters.. the Brita water filter has now joined the ranks of recyclable products. Details are at preserveproducts.com
*Scrub used Tubs.. curbside recycling often takes only number 1 & 2 plastics (see bottom of container). Number 5 - yogurt & butter tubs-usually aren't eligible. Drop-off sites are springing up; see preserveproducts.com. Or wash out old tubs for storage instead of buying new containers.

GET MORE TIPS about recycling and reusing at thegreenguide.com