A morning with six people and 12 pieces of toast...and who owns (or wants to own) a 12-slice toaster anyway? I think I finally figured out how to keep that toast warm while flipping the flipping omelette, clearing the finished fruit dishes, turning the basil-roasted tomatoes and soaking up the sliced sizzling bacon. Here's what works for me:
I toast the bread, butter it sparingly and wrap it in foil in the oven. The bacon keeps equally well if left to sit in its own juices until serving time. The omelette is uncompromising and demands immediate transfer to a warm plate where it'll last for at least five minutes...did I say five? Just long enough to prep six plates and get them on the table! Now if I can keep my mouth zipped and focus on serving the meal, it will be hot on the table. Bon Appetit!
Now for the other hot task of keeping up with the masses of ironing that sometimes accumulate during the high season, especially in a recession year where one-nighters rarely get turned away. Fortunately for those of you who have wash-lines, high season tends to be in the summer when you can hang the sheets out to dry. I find that folding them double lengthwise gives them a nice "ironed-looking" pleat and gives a great visual cue to laying the sheet in the middle of the bed. If you rely on a dryer for all the drying tasks, try pulling the sheets out after 20 minutes on Regular (hot) dry cycle. They should still be quite damp. Fold them lengthwise (as previously described) then fold lengthwise again. I usually flatten the top part with my hands and believe it or not, when I go to iron I often cannot differentiate between the ironed und un-ironed folded sheets. I wonder if the guests can...BY the way, the best cotton for me is the Pima Cotton...soft, almost wrinkle free, fast-drying...whatmore can you ask for?
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
A first
I'm happy that it is mid-August because I get a 5-day break this Friday; the first one since May 1. I really feel sorry for those of you who don't have relief in the summer. Closing in the middle of high season seems criminal but the level of burn-out can be even more disastrous. It is high season here now and there are floors to be washed and food to purchase so sitting down to write this is just another way of having a cup of coffee that won't be cold before I finish it.
Today I begin by sharing a story, a version of which you will all have in your memory chests...in fact, you will probably have several. The point of the story is that B&Bs continue to draw more and more guests but, more often than not, these guests consider a B&B in the same light as a hotel. The story has spurred me to begin writing a draft "Bed&Breakfast Etiquette" to guide guests who are considering a B&B as their next accommodation. I hope that any reader will take the time to add their ideas/suggestions and, at the end of it all, share the completed work with their Tourism Bureau, Accommodation Guide Publisher, Chambers of Commerce, etc. to help promote mutually supportive understandings between the hosts and the guests of B&Bs. At the end of my story, I have added today's "helpful hint"
My Story (just yesterday)
Yesterday I had one of "those days"; you know what I mean. It was a day when breakfast was served and guests checked out by 10 a.m., the rooms were cleaned by noon, dishes cleared, plants watered, e-mail responded to, credit payments processed by 1 p.m. I had one couple staying for the next seven days, and two couples arriving the next day. The afternoon was mine!
Then came the call...call display told me it was from the Chamber of Commerce so I knew what was coming: "would you happen to have a room for one night?". A quick processing in my head...yes, I have it for just one night and golly, I could have these people in and processed by 2 p.m...."Yes, I have one room available for the night." I tell her the price and she says :"I'll just talk it over with my husband and call you right back". I wait five, ten, fifteen minutes. Then I do what I have delayed for the last hour...use the bathroom. Of course the phone rings and before I can rush out in semi-dressed haste, the ringer has stopped and my lady has left a message. Before even checking the message, I try to call back but the phone just rings and rings. It is the payphone at the Chamber of Commerce. I finally listen to the message: "We'd love to take the room and we'll be there at 3:00". Three o'clock?! My check-in time is four and I have an appointment for a travel vaccine at 3!! I try to change the appointment, unsuccessfully. My mind is racing and comes up with an idea. I prepare a nice big jug of fresh iced tea (real tea, sugar, lemon, ice cubes), arrange some biscuits on a plate and set the whole on a table in the back courtyard (with flowers of course), along with one of my portable phones. I leave a note on the front door saying I'm at an appointment and will be back at 3:15 pm. Help yourself to iced tea and biscuits, and please call me to let me know you've arrived. At 2:45, I hop on my bicycle and race to the doctor's office. I haven't gone two blocks that my cellphone starts ringing. By the time I pull over and fish out the cellphone, ther is no answer. Next, there is a voicemail in the mailbox! This time I hear the following message :"Thank you for the iced tea and biscuits. We can't wait until 3:15 because we have a wine tasting to go to and then we are going to dinner so we'll be back at 8:00 p.m." Well now there's a problem. I can't call the B&B phone back because the calls are being forwarded to my cellphone. With a heavy heart, I continue to my destination. Upon my return at 3:10, the iced tea and biscuits are gone as are my guests. A note is left behind, however, and Eureka! there is a cellphone number this time. These lovely people had put some money on their phone card and were now able to receive calls on their cell.
I called immediately because you see, I did have plans for that evening to see the movie Julie and Julia with a few B&B pals from this area, and I was very reluctant to give up those plans because...I NEEDED A BREAK!
When I called my guests, I got an answering machine so I left a message saying I would be out that evening and could they drop by between the wine tasting and the dinner. I called the first time at 3:30 so by 4:30 p.m., I called again. This time someone did answer. Yes, she had received my message and could she give her credit card number and would I leave a key behind? In some B&Bs, this might have been an option, but not in this particular one so I responded that unfortunately, because the room was on the second floor and there were other guests, it wouldn't be possible to do it that way. Well folks, it was a first for me but those guests ended up going elsewhere. I was pretty unhappy with them and with myself, but it spurred me on to finally begin writing the paper I had been procrastinating about for the last two years: a "Bed&Breakfast Etiquette". The first entry could be something to this effect (edits are welcome):
B&Bs usually have a posted check-in time. Unlike a hotel, B&Bs rarely have full-time receptionists so it is proper etiquette to show up during the check-in hours. If this is not possible, it is reasonable to ask your host for an alternate time providing you show up at the agreed-upon time.
Feedback?
Now that you've read all this, here is a helpful hint for the day: If your really scorch a cooking pot, instead of getting out the scouring pad and breaking into a sweat, pick up a gallon of 26% to 33% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), usually available at a plant store or hydroponic outlet. Pour enough H2O2 to cover the bottom of the pot (very carefully as any drops on your skin will feel quite caustic though they won't leave lasting damage). Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Watch the burnt material miraculously rise to the top of the liquid. Dispose of the H2O2 in your sink...it is perfectly organic and will not harm the environment.
Today I begin by sharing a story, a version of which you will all have in your memory chests...in fact, you will probably have several. The point of the story is that B&Bs continue to draw more and more guests but, more often than not, these guests consider a B&B in the same light as a hotel. The story has spurred me to begin writing a draft "Bed&Breakfast Etiquette" to guide guests who are considering a B&B as their next accommodation. I hope that any reader will take the time to add their ideas/suggestions and, at the end of it all, share the completed work with their Tourism Bureau, Accommodation Guide Publisher, Chambers of Commerce, etc. to help promote mutually supportive understandings between the hosts and the guests of B&Bs. At the end of my story, I have added today's "helpful hint"
My Story (just yesterday)
Yesterday I had one of "those days"; you know what I mean. It was a day when breakfast was served and guests checked out by 10 a.m., the rooms were cleaned by noon, dishes cleared, plants watered, e-mail responded to, credit payments processed by 1 p.m. I had one couple staying for the next seven days, and two couples arriving the next day. The afternoon was mine!
Then came the call...call display told me it was from the Chamber of Commerce so I knew what was coming: "would you happen to have a room for one night?". A quick processing in my head...yes, I have it for just one night and golly, I could have these people in and processed by 2 p.m...."Yes, I have one room available for the night." I tell her the price and she says :"I'll just talk it over with my husband and call you right back". I wait five, ten, fifteen minutes. Then I do what I have delayed for the last hour...use the bathroom. Of course the phone rings and before I can rush out in semi-dressed haste, the ringer has stopped and my lady has left a message. Before even checking the message, I try to call back but the phone just rings and rings. It is the payphone at the Chamber of Commerce. I finally listen to the message: "We'd love to take the room and we'll be there at 3:00". Three o'clock?! My check-in time is four and I have an appointment for a travel vaccine at 3!! I try to change the appointment, unsuccessfully. My mind is racing and comes up with an idea. I prepare a nice big jug of fresh iced tea (real tea, sugar, lemon, ice cubes), arrange some biscuits on a plate and set the whole on a table in the back courtyard (with flowers of course), along with one of my portable phones. I leave a note on the front door saying I'm at an appointment and will be back at 3:15 pm. Help yourself to iced tea and biscuits, and please call me to let me know you've arrived. At 2:45, I hop on my bicycle and race to the doctor's office. I haven't gone two blocks that my cellphone starts ringing. By the time I pull over and fish out the cellphone, ther is no answer. Next, there is a voicemail in the mailbox! This time I hear the following message :"Thank you for the iced tea and biscuits. We can't wait until 3:15 because we have a wine tasting to go to and then we are going to dinner so we'll be back at 8:00 p.m." Well now there's a problem. I can't call the B&B phone back because the calls are being forwarded to my cellphone. With a heavy heart, I continue to my destination. Upon my return at 3:10, the iced tea and biscuits are gone as are my guests. A note is left behind, however, and Eureka! there is a cellphone number this time. These lovely people had put some money on their phone card and were now able to receive calls on their cell.
I called immediately because you see, I did have plans for that evening to see the movie Julie and Julia with a few B&B pals from this area, and I was very reluctant to give up those plans because...I NEEDED A BREAK!
When I called my guests, I got an answering machine so I left a message saying I would be out that evening and could they drop by between the wine tasting and the dinner. I called the first time at 3:30 so by 4:30 p.m., I called again. This time someone did answer. Yes, she had received my message and could she give her credit card number and would I leave a key behind? In some B&Bs, this might have been an option, but not in this particular one so I responded that unfortunately, because the room was on the second floor and there were other guests, it wouldn't be possible to do it that way. Well folks, it was a first for me but those guests ended up going elsewhere. I was pretty unhappy with them and with myself, but it spurred me on to finally begin writing the paper I had been procrastinating about for the last two years: a "Bed&Breakfast Etiquette". The first entry could be something to this effect (edits are welcome):
B&Bs usually have a posted check-in time. Unlike a hotel, B&Bs rarely have full-time receptionists so it is proper etiquette to show up during the check-in hours. If this is not possible, it is reasonable to ask your host for an alternate time providing you show up at the agreed-upon time.
Feedback?
Now that you've read all this, here is a helpful hint for the day: If your really scorch a cooking pot, instead of getting out the scouring pad and breaking into a sweat, pick up a gallon of 26% to 33% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), usually available at a plant store or hydroponic outlet. Pour enough H2O2 to cover the bottom of the pot (very carefully as any drops on your skin will feel quite caustic though they won't leave lasting damage). Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Watch the burnt material miraculously rise to the top of the liquid. Dispose of the H2O2 in your sink...it is perfectly organic and will not harm the environment.
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