Best Bed and Breakfast South Haven Michigan Archives

Sprouts! The Simple Tools You Need:

November 19, 2016 by Elaine Leave a Comment

Sprouts are truly power food! All the energy of the final plant is available in one tiny, sprouted seed or bean. We include sprouts on our breakfast buffet and Beach Break Snacks every day. I am always experimenting with different kinds but our tried and true favorites are linked for you here: mung beans, lentils, dun peas, radish, and a “Zesty Mix” of radish, clover, alfalfa and fenugreek seeds. Purchasing these organic products from Amazon makes it easy to source/buy and a Prime membership saves me a fortune on shipping.

Sprouting is easy. All you need is a space on your kitchen counter for your small “farm”. All seeds, peas, legumes etc are soaked first (6-10 hrs), then rinsed and drained about three times a day until harvesting (3-5 days). In a trial and error learning curve over the past years I have determined which sprouting tools are optimum for each type of sprout.

I use a 1/2 gallon ball jar and draining lid for the very small seeds of radish, alfalfa, fenugreek, clover. The small seeds immerse and soak about 4-6 hours. Then, rinse and drain, then rotate the jar so that the seeds cling to all sides. Cover with towel to keep out the light. Rinse and drain several times a day until they attain desired sprout size. I like my sprouts at about 1/4-1//2 inch, and these take about 3-4 days.

For larger choices, like the dun peas, mung beans and lentils, I use The Easy Sprouter, a “cup in a cup” technique. You can soak (6-8 hours) and rinse easily and it’s compact on the counter too. The manufacturer claims you can rinse less frequently with this tool/technique so if you’re away from home for extended periods this can help. The sprouts can get very intertwined in this small cup as they grow, but a final soak and gentle swish separates them.

I love these stackable trays too. After soaking overnight in ball jars, divide beans, peas, lentils etc into the trays. Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day. Rotate top tray to bottom at each rinse for consistent, even sprouting. I harvest when sprouts are about 1/2 inch long.

Experiment! Harvest, let them dry out slightly, store in ZipLock bags in the fridge. I date the bags too. Sprouts last a very long time (several weeks) if stored correctly, but we find that the first 10 days are the freshest and best.

Any questions or concerns? Feel free to email me: elaine@yeltonmanor/com

Mixed Pickling Spice and Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast “Breakfast Pickle”

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August 7, 2016 by Elaine Leave a Comment

Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast pickles are the highlight of our afternoon Beach Break Snacks, 3PM-6PM every day. I make at least 12 different kinds, preserving the ongoing summer harvest of fresh vegetables from early spring asparagus to late season brussel sprouts. I use our many different herbs and spices, and I use fresh dill and other herbs from the garden. I make a tarragon brine, a cumin pickle (very Indian flavor) and a star anise (very Asian flavor). When I discovered this mixed pickling spice I was very intrigued to try the amazing combination of flavors. As it turns out, the clove, cinnamon and allspice overtones give this mixed spice an aroma reminiscent of Christmas, so it’s ideal for the holidays. Now we have also added it to our breakfast buffet just for the heck of it. I tried it with many vegetables, from summer squash to beans, yet plain old pickling cucumbers won the taste test for me. You can experiment with it any way you please. I buy organic spices from Penzies or Amazon.

Mix in a jar:

3 T crushed bay leaf

3 T black peppercorns

3 T whole allspice

3 T coriander seeds

3 T mustard seed

# T juniper berries

1 T whole clove

1 T dill seed

1 cinnamon stick, crushed into small pieces

Place all in the jar and shake to combine. Isn’t it gorgeous??!!! Just the mixed spice alone makes a lovely gift!

Here’s my favorite way to use this spice mix: Obtain small Kirby pickles from your local farmer, freshly picked. Cut the blossom end to keep the pickle crunchy. Leave whole…. or cut into spears or rounds, your choice.

Increase this recipe as you need to, this is for 4 pints. For the brine: 3 cups apple cider vinegar mixed with 3 cups water and 3 T pickling salt, heated to boiling. Put a slice of lemon and a one tablespoon of the mixed spice in the bottom of sterilized jars. Pack in the pickles. Nestle in some garlic cloves too. Slowly pour the brine into each jar, wipe the rims and cover with lids and rings, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yum! See the lemon slice in there? You can increase that to two slices if you like the extra zing it brings to the brine.

Mark these for your Christmas holidays, they make great hostess gifts if you are invited to dinner! But eat them any time when you want a very unusual and zesty pickle.

Eggs shared with LOVE!

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June 13, 2016 by Elaine 1 Comment

Local South Haven friend Donna Allgaier-Lamberti is a self proclaimed ‘Chicken Mom”! “My GIRLS!”, Donna gushes when asked about her chickens.

Donna’s hens, in teamwork with Donna’s amazing talents, hard work and love, are now producing Yelton Manor B&B’s delicious breakfast eggs!

Donna nurtures a White Cochin named Snowball and 3 Black Cochin/Phoenix mix (Freckles, Sweet Pea and Goldy) hens. She also mothers 3 Rhode Island Reds, (Elsa, Crystal and Anna) a Heritage line which she nurtured by hand from day old chicks. Her Grandchildren named all the hens.

Free range, the much loved hens are fed layers feed, hand sprouted mung beans, fresh herbs and “all the bugs and worms they can find”. Donna says they are also great mousers! Snowball lays a smallish pink/white egg, the Rhodies a gorgeous brown egg.

Please join us to discover the amazing pleasure of eating these nutritious, delicious eggs. Luscious, healthy goodness, served up every morning on the breakfast buffet and contributing distinctive deliciousness to all our baking too.

Dilly Garlic Beans

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July 10, 2015 by Elaine Leave a Comment

Hands down, this is everyone’s favorite pickle. Make yourself some!

Get green and yellow beans, absolutely dew-drop fresh from the Farmer’s Market or directly from your favorite local farmer. Organic garlic. Fresh dill flowers. And lovely, long red chile peppers called Arbol chiles.

For 4 pint jars (multiply as you wish):

2 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup pickling salt

4 garlic cloves (or more to taste)

dill flower seed heads

Arbol chiles

Washing the beans and dill.

Cleaning and preparing the garlic cloves. Choose your biggest and most attractive cloves.

Prepare a boiling water bath and sterilize your jars, caps and screw tops. Wash and trim the beans. Combine the vinegar, water and salt and bring the brine to a boil. Pack jars tightly without bruising the beans, into sterilized jars into which you have place dill flowers heads, 2-4 cloves of garlic and 1-2 arbor chiles. Slowly pour the hot brine over the beans. wipe the rims, add the rings/screw tops and process in water bath for 5 minutes. Let these pickles cure for two weeks at least before eating.

Is this a mess? Yes. Does it take some time? Yes. Put some music on, pour a glass of wine, perhaps, and enjoy the fun of perfect food prep and the gift of excellent nutrition for your family!

Yelton Manor B&B Mocha Refrigerator Oats

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May 24, 2015 by Elaine Leave a Comment

Our oatmeal/chia “breakfast pudding” is wildly popular with choices of organic blueberries, raspberries or blackberries….so this week I invented MOCHA! Pinterest recipes generally called for instant espresso powder and cocoa powder, but I wanted ours to feature premium Manor Blend coffee and organic chocolate. After some experimentation, here it is…and it’s FLYING off the buffet to great acclaim! Make some!

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/8 cup organic chia seeds

1 cup Organic Greek Vanilla Yogurt

3/4 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup cold coffee

3 tsp. organic chocolate syrup Mix, put in jars and cover, refrigerate overnight and enjoy. Keep 3 days easily, a week if you must. Grab and go, a healthy treat!

Yelton Manor Bed & Breakfast Refrigerator Oats

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May 2, 2015 by Elaine 4 Comments

No Cook Refrigerator Oats are a healthy and delicious way to “Grab and Go” into your morning, or take them to work for lunch or a snack. You can make up a batch and they keep well in the fridge for 3-5 days. Use fresh or frozen fruit, your choice. We use small mason jars with the plastic lids available at Amazon.com.

There are many recipes to make these, check online and at Pinterest for recipe varieties. We at YMBB have standardized on this recipe:

Simple!

1 cup Old Fashioned Oats (not instant, not steel cut)

1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt (your choice to use plain or fruited)

1/8 cup Chia seeds

1 1/3 cup 2% milk (can use whole/skim milk almond milk, soy or coconut milk, your choice)

Combine ingredients well in a bowl. Use a whisk to be certain that the oatmeal isn’t at all clumped, which will make your yogurt pudding pasty. Then simply layer in jars with organic berries, fruit, chocolate, etc.

Refrigerate overnight and they are ready to eat!

Nutrient Rich and Yummy Vegetable Soup

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January 2, 2015 by Elaine Leave a Comment

I have adapted this fabulous soup from a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine. Their recipe calls for store bought veggie stock, perfect for convenience but I heartily recommend making a much improved base by using my own veggie stock recipe. This is a big batch, so plan on a party, share some with friends or put some in the freezer for another day.

2 T olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper to taste

8 cups Veggie Broth (see the quick, no cook version here)

3 cups (16 oz) Yukon gold potatoes, diced

8 cups chopped Rainbow chard, chopped, tender veins only

2 cans unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes (varied colors is nice!)

In a large soup pan, heat oil over medium heat and saute the onions for 6 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, rosemary, red pepper, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock and potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chard and beans, simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes. Check for salt and add accordingly.

To take it over the moon, top with a perfect poached or fried egg, perhaps some homemade garlic croutons.

No Cook Veggie Soup Stock

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January 2, 2015 by Elaine Leave a Comment

I have previously shared my favorite recipe for veggie stock here. It’s intensely delicious, with deep herb and garlic flavors, but it also takes about 4 hours to make and, ideally, must be used to make soup right away. Perfect for a long, winter weekend in the kitchen but….wouldn’t it be great if homemade stock was available at a moment’s notice? Of course you can choose to buy a good brand of canned/boxed organic broth, but if you are a freak for homemade, here’s the answer.

Cook’s Magazine (I’m an addict) published this in the 2-15 issue, and I just had to try it. Their claim: “This broth has it all: easy preparation, minimal waste, convenient storage, and, best of all, fresh, balanced vegetable flavor.”

It’s made in the food processor, raw and then frozen, for scooping out by the tablespoon whenever you need veggie stock. It chooses celery root instead of celery for “mild, complex celery flavor without bitterness/sourness”, dried minced onion gives it “depth” and tomato paste makes it “savory”. The soy sauce is for the “umami”.

Would it be as flavorful as my long-cooking veggie stock? I had to know! So I made them both and put it to the test.

I know this seems like a salty recipe but once diluted it’s actually perfect. Salt also depresses the freezing point and the concentrate never freezes solid, making it perfectly scoopable from the freezer as needed.

I recommend using a digital scale for the best balance of flavors in this recipe. Kosher salt aids in grinding the vegetables.

Into the Cuisinart with it! Do I still need to remind you that all root vegetables should be certified “Organic”?

2 leeks, white and green parts, chopped and washed, 5 ounces

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 3 ounces

1/2 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 3 ounces

1/2 cup/1/2 ounce) parsley leaves

3 T dried minced onion

2 T kosher salt

1 1/2 T tomato paste

2 T soy sauce

Process the leeks, celery root, parsley, minced onion and salt, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently, until the paste is as fine as possible, 3-4 minutes. Add tomato paste for 1 minute, scraping sides frequently. Add soy sauce and process another minute. Transfer mixture to an airtight container and tap firmly on the counter to remove air bubbles. Press a piece of parchment paper flush against the surface and cover. Keeps in the freezer for 6 months.

Here is what it looks like when it’s finished. The nearly 2 cups of base makes 28 cups of broth!

Reconstitute by adding 1 tablespoon of this base to 1 cup of boiling water. Strain though cheesecloth if you want a particle free broth, but it’s not necessary.

Here’s a cup of my standard stock, on the left, next to the reconstituted base on the right. The flavors were similar but certainly not the same. The regular stock will still be my favorite for gourmet times and broth dependent soups. But for everyday convenience, like risottos, pastas, sauces or quick soup for two….this freezer option is a winner!!!!

Snacks!!!

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January 27, 2014 by Elaine Leave a Comment

Ask anyone who knows me: I eat *continuously*. I graze, nonstop, all day, from waking until (preferably early) dinner. I find that my energy level and blood sugar stay optimally even by eating this way, and I avert suffering the painful urgency of a hunger headache. Some studies say that by the time you experience a stomach growl you are already releasing cortisol and adrenaline and that’s not good. So I just don’t get hungry! Besides a standard breakfast of green smoothie (fruit and greens), a lunch of yogurt and Manor Seed Mix, and a varying healthy dinner, I rely on SNACKS.

The trick is to BE PREPARED.

Keeping fresh fruit at hand, front and center, is key. Our kitchen island is always set with the essentials of a day of fruit grazing. I slice strawberries, or set out raspberries, blueberries or blackberries (preferably from the freezer’s offerings of last summer’s organic local fruit), slice wedges of citrus, sometimes ripe pears or mango, or feature a melon of some kind. Kiwi and apples are always in the fridge. Almond butter and crackers are Robert’s favorite nosh. Hummus is always in the fridge too, for stuffing a pita pocket along with sprouts.

I keep a ready supply of dun pea sprouts, mixed color lentil sprouts, and a salad sprout mix of alfalfa, radish, clover and fenegreek seeds. Easy to sprout, serious nutrition and fiber, absolutely delicious. (I will blog that process soon.)

Here’s my other concoction, a trail mix that travels with me everywhere. The base is a wonderful organic gluten free cereal flake called Mesa Sunrise, I like to get the variety with the organic raisins. It’s made from corn, buckwheat, flax, quinoa and amaranth. It is SO delicious! Then I mix in more goodness: goji berries, dried mulberries, golden raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, almonds, prunes, dried mango slices, whatever I’m in the mood for. Handfuls or small bowls of this mix are my mainstay.

Sometimes the bulk bins at Whole Foods or other health food stores will have varieties of locally made alternative cereals too. This week I found a chocolate flavored healthy nosh and added it to my mix. Having bars of 80%+ dark chocolate handy is always a healthy snack too. In moderation, of course.

By making all this yummy snack food accessible every day I can rest assured that I am getting my share of the greens, fruits, fibers, protein, and super foods that are so important for optimum health. I carry the Ziplock bag with me on any overnight trips too.

SNACKS! Make them!

PS: Stay hydrated too! I purposefully make sure that I drink 60 oz of water every day. The conventional wisdom is that you can calculate the water you need daily simply by dividing your weight by 2. The resulting number is the amount, in ounces, of water you need every day. I like to spruce up my H2O by treating myself to bubbly, fizzy mineral water (i.e., Pellegrino) for promoting bone density. I add freshly squeezed lime, lemon or grapefruit juice for alkalizing my system. I hydrate, all day, every day.

Pumpkin Pear Bread

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October 5, 2013 by Elaine Leave a Comment

Here it is, at last, Yelton Manor B&B’s Pumpkin Pear Bread! In the fall we double down on it’s lusciousness by roasting a whole pumpkin for the puree and also using *fresh from the local orchard* pears! But other times of the year we use canned pears and canned unsweetened pumpkin puree. The spices make it marvelous too, so use freshly ground if you can.

This recipe will work in a loaf pan, muffin pan or, as we do, in a bundt pan. Your cooking time will vary depending on your choice.

Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup lowfat milk, 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (about half a can), 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 15 oz can pears, drained and diced.

Preheat oven to 350. Coat whatever baking pan you are using with non-stick spray.

Whisk together sugar, flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Whisk together oil and egg in a separate bowl until smooth. Whisk in milk, then pumpkin and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into oil-egg mixture until just combined, do not over mix. Fold the pears in gently.

Spread batter in prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Our experience is that a loaf pan takes 45-55 minutes, but a bundt pan only about 40. Muffins will be more like 30 minutes.

And it’s not just for breakfast! This marvelous savory AND sweet quick bread is wonderful as a dinner dessert paired with a tart goat cheese! YUM!