| With the weather heating up and students heading back to school, things have slowed a bit here at the Inn. To keep cool, I have been spending time with numerous inside projects such as organizing recipe cards and my expanding cookbook collection. I have been collecting for many years and enjoy finding these gems with every vacation and shopping trip. These books are used to decorate throughout the house, including the shelves of the breakfast room, as well as my kitchen and pantry. Backdoor guests are greeted in the entryway with an antique lawyer’s bookcase filled with these treasures. Guests often ask where I find my recipes for the breakfast and sweet treats offered at the Inn. Most are found from these old and new cookbooks that I have examined, tested and tweaked over the years. For instance, I still have my sweet Mom’s textbook that she used in her high school home economics class. This is the same book where my sister and I learned to bake our dad’s favorite, Pineapple Upside Down Cake. As a young bride our church put together a cookbook where I discovered a treasure trove of tasty treats. You can tell by the torn and chocolate and vanilla-stained pages that the Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake is one of my favorites. The Apple Crunch Coffee Cake, which I found in an older Changing Thymes Lone Star Cookbook is one of the most requested recipes with guests here at the Inn. In more recent years, I have collected and tested many recipes from Joanna Gains’ Magnolia Table Cookbooks. Guest favorites include Blueberry Muffins, the Silo Cookies and the Apple Crumb Cake. I also enjoy watching many cooking shows such as Elizabeth Poett’s Ranch Table show on the Manolia Network. I love her inspiring and down-to-earth style of cooking with fresh ingredients from her beautiful garden and ranch in her small, lovely kitchen with vintage appliances and a sweet dog or two looking up from the floor in anticipation of a fallen treat. |
I am always on the hunt for delicious new breakfast recipes, whether obtained from friends, cookbooks or online. Guests just enjoyed two new recipes (A Mediterranean Frittata and Berries & Cream French Toast Casserole) I discovered from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I didn’t even test them first with Lynn or friends before serving to guests, and thankfully they were a big hit. I will definitely serve these delicious dishes again!
We are taking advantage of this quieter time to get together with family and friends. We also look forward to some down time to reconnect, do some antique shopping, fishing and sightseeing. Of course, we intend to check out more shops and restaurants to add to our list of guest recommendations. And yes, I will likely find more cookbooks to add to the collection!
We hope you can find time to get away soon to the beautiful Texas Hill Country, do some shopping and wine tasting, sleep late, enjoy a home-cooked farm-to-table breakfast in the morning, and a cool beverage on the porch as you watch a beautiful sunset here at the Inn at Sunset Mill Ranch. You might even get inspired to try a new recipe or two, or maybe just take time to relax and reconnect with your sweetheart!
Hope to see you soon!
Diana & Lynn
