Culinary Adventures

I've always enjoyed cooking, but last year I realized how truly therapeutic it is for me.  Here at Inn Boonsboro, I cook breakfast two mornings a week.  I've never been a morning person, and I doubt that will ever change.  But I have enjoyed bringing back some of my old favorite breakfast recipes and trying some new things out :)  And working with Karen or Kelsi in the morning is always pleasant.  

We begin with a "Starter," and this is a new favorite of mine--Deviled Strawberries.  

Parfaits are also fun, and we try to mix up the arrangement, though Kori is better at this than I am.

I'm also experimenting with savory starters, such as these Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles, which were so easy and freakin' delicious.  I added montreal steak seasoning and a dash of balsamic reduction.  

Or these Baked French Eggs.

The herbs and flowers we use for garnish come from our own garden, which Marcella takes care of.  We tempt her in for coffee and a chat when we can, and love her company and her laugh.

The entre is either savory or sweet, and is served with breakfast meat and a complementary side.

Megan's Orange-Vanilla Praline French Toast

Sausage & Cranberry Breakfast Strata

Kielbasa Quiche with Dill & Dijon

Most of the staff here eat SUPER HEALTHY, and I've joked that lunchtime seems to be like a "healthy eating Olympics," to see who can bring the healthiest and most colorful lunch to the counter.  As peer pressure goes, it's not a bad kind to have.  This one was compliments of Karen...

But to make up for that, we have some kind of baked goods we're making almost every day--Scones, Chocolate Chip Cookies, etc.  And occasionally we mix things up...

Like with these Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Or these doughnuts, which are based off an Applesauce Muffin Recipe, which I piped into a doughnut tray instead...

dipped in either a cinnamon-sugar or a homemade Maple glaze

and then drizzled with berry sauce and sprinkled with powdered sugar, because why not?

We are still doing individual Charcuterie platters in the evening instead of a "social" wine & cheese hour, and even arranging those is fun sometimes...

Danny and I are still occasionally ordering Hello Fresh, which is a little pricey, but has its benefits.  It's nice to try recipes I might not have come across otherwise, and to have everything for the meal packed up and delivered right to your door.  We're able to select and change the deliveries each week, and we've enjoyed almost every single one.  Some of them are now our favorites.

Like Yogurt-Marinated Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Pistachio Couscous, & Chili-Roasted Carrots

Creamy Dill Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans (I would eat an old shoe with this sauce)

Bruschetta Chicken with Mozzarella Crust, Bacon Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Broccoli

Honey Thyme Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

And Beef Flautas Supreme, with Pico de Gallo & Lime Crema

There's been a lot of others, but believe it or not, I don't take pics of all my food, lol.  Even when we don't use a HF meal, we usually do pretty well...  We LOVE tilapia and usually have it once or twice a week, sometimes with lemon pepper, or more often with a sweet & spicy coconut seasoning.  And I'm OBSESSED with acorn squash now, which I could pretty much eat every day.  I cut it fairly small, toss it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry, and then roast it at 420 until crispy--YUM!

Hope this post finds all of you well and maybe inspires you to try out some new things in the kitchen.  In the words of Julia Child, "BON APPETIT!"

First Fieldtrips

Those of you who know me know how I love to explore new places.  Boonsboro feels very "tucked in," and I'm still getting the lay of the land.  Right away we ate at a few local restaurants, like Dan's, which is Danny's favorite for obvious reasons :)  But also right across the street from the Inn.  Kind of obsessed with their sweet potato fries.

And of course there's Vesta's Pizzaria, right across from that, which is also delicious :)

But it's not all food, lol.  I always search out nature spots first, and though it was still winter and not particularly pretty, it felt good to get out and get some fresh air.  My first trip was to the Washington Monument, built by citizens of Boonsboro to honor President George Washington. 

On another somewhat cluster-cuss type day with Danny, we went to check out some "ruins" I'd seen a pic of online--the Terra Maria Ruins near Ellicott City, MD.  To be honest, it was a surprise (and kind of a disappointment) to realize they were smack in the middle of a totally normal neighborhood and not out in some mysterious, slightly-murder-y field.  Still cool though...

Much closer to home is Devil's Backbone County Park, which is pretty and sweet, despite its ominous name.

And even closer is Shafer Park

which is great for a simple walk or if you've got kids.

And you know I'm a sucker for a good gazebo...

We've also already found our favorite ice cream parlor--Nutter's, which is as cute as it sounds.  They serve big portions for low prices and are a quaint, cash-only mom & pop-type place, which we like.

I've not gotten as OCD as printing out a map of MD and trying to visit every town (like I did in CT), but we've made a couple bucket-list-type maps of lighthouses, waterfalls, best walking trails, etc., and I'm already filling up my Google Map with stars.  Can't wait to explore some more!

How it all came about...

For those of you who followed my blog in Connecticut, The Belle of Bevin House, and have been wondering what the heck happened, I'll tell you: A LOT.  Read the last post on that blog for the gyst of it, including the terrible awfulness and hidden blessings of 2020.  As for this job, it started with an ad I saw on bbteam.com--the site I found my last 2 innkeeping jobs at.  Usually I'm up for anything, but I'd been looking for something closer to my boyfriend's daughter in PA, and so this one in Maryland caught my eye:  Inn Boonsboro seeking Resident Innkeeper.  The Inn is owned by the famous author Nora Roberts, who I'd never read, but I knew she was kind of a big deal.

The Inn looked pretty fancy, and to be honest I wasn't sure if I was up for it after the terrible awfulness of 2020, but before I knew it, I'd had a lovely phone interview, and then a pleasant skype interview, and then I was driving up for the weekend to get a tour and meet the managers of the other businesses.  I'd read the Trilogy (set at the Inn) in preparation and tried to imagine life there.

I went through a few anxious moments of feeling in way over my head, but each of those moments quickly passed whenever I was around the other staff.  The manager, Karen is pretty much the coolest, and sets the tone for the whole place.  Each new person I met was unique, and yet they all blended well together.  It was a bit surreal at times, and more socializing than I'd had in a really long time.  

Nora owns several other businesses nearby--a gym, a gift store (which just happens to sell some glassware by Ron Hinkle--my boyfriend's father), and a bookstore (which is basically my version of heaven).

I stayed in the Titania & Oberon Room, inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights' Dream, which felt absolutely decadent.   

We went over some details the next morning, and I left feeling really good about it.  But I didn't know how many other applicants they'd be interviewing, so I tried not to get my hopes up.  Luckily, I didn't have to wait long before hearing back and I was officially offered the job!  I spent the next few weeks packing and preparing to move (yet again) to a new state.  Things were made a little more complicated now that I was bringing a man with me.  But luckily our lease was almost up on the apartment and we had some savings.  Also, because the job was a resident position, it included an apartment, so that was one less thing to figure out.  

Danny and I wanted to start this opportunity fresh, so the night before I moved, in truly dramatic Meg & Dan style, we made a bonfire, wrote down all of the terrible awful things that had happened in 2020, and burned them in effigy.  But we also took a moment with each one to say something positive that came out of that particular challenge.  The smoke somehow poisoned me and I felt like garbage the next day, but it was still a memorable event.

Then the next day we were loading up the moving van and heading to Boonsboro.  This probably sounds dumb, but I am 36 and this was my first time renting a moving van.  It felt very adult-y.

I spent 2 days unpacking and then started work.  The first few days were a lot of observing and Q&A.  It was all pretty familiar, since I've been innkeeping for 8 years now, but each inn is different and there are lots of little details to absorb in the beginning.  I spent a lot of time nesting, and now that I've been here a month, the apartment is pretty personalized and cozy...

I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing, so setting up my desk (and my prized book collection) was a top priority.

"Nesting" is always one of my favorite things about moving to a new place, so I've really enjoyed the process.  In the beginning Danny visited as often as he could, but pretty quickly he found a job as well.  He just finished the 2-week training, and begins officially tomorrow!  We've had some stressful moments the last few weeks as we adjust, but the way things came together here was such a blessing. 

We've already done a bit of exploring, and I am feeling a renewed sense of wonder at the world around me.  Whether it's delicious food, a beautiful flower, a good book, a pretty song, a flickering candle, a sudden spring shower--I'm honing in and collecting those moments, the way I did in CT, when I was so happy I thought my heart would burst. 

I feel more delicate these days, fragile.  But spring is here, and I think that with a thawing of the land, there will also be a thawing in my heart--a broadening of my mind, a stretching of my ambitions.  I have no idea what the year ahead will hold, but I'm looking forward with hope.