Sweet Potato Recipe - a Favorite at 5 Ojo Inn B&B

For the last 6 years we have had a Potluck Thanksgiving dinner here at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast for our quaint Eureka Springs, AR neighborhood and any guests here who want to come. As our part of the potluck, we provide the turkey and a sweet potato casserole. This sweet potato recipe has become my holiday comfort food. First you take healthy sweet potatoes, combine with butter and sugar and cover with a sauce made with butter and sugar. Now I have to admit all that butter and sugar kills the healthy part, but they're just so good......

Here's the recipe.

Sweet Potato Supreme

5-6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sugar
Salt to taste
milk as needed
----- Sauce -----
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Peel, cube and cook sweet potatoes until tender.
2. Mash sweet potatoes and combine butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and salt in a 8-10 cup baking dish.
3. Stir, adding milk if necessary until desired consistency reached.
4. Pour sauce (see below) over casserole and sprinkle pecans over top.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F

----- Sauce -----

1. Combine sauce ingredients (butter, sugar, and milk) in a saucepan.
2. Cook until bubbly and thick.
3. Let cool and stir in vanilla.

5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs AR., the extraordinary escape

Organic Farming Classes in Eureka Springs

We have many organic farmers around Eureka Springs, AR and Patrice Gros is one of them. Before I started growing my own basil here at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast I use to buy fresh basil from Patrice. For those interested in winter farming he is offering two classes you might be interested in.

On Saturday, December 5, 2009 he will have a Hands-On class for Low Cost Hoop-House Construction. Participants will learn to build an actual 100 foot hoop house, complete with plastic covering. The workshop starts at 10:00 am and finishes at 3:00 pm. Cost is $50 for an individual and includes a simple organic lunch and detailed information package.

On Saturday, December 19, 2009 Patrice will have a Hoop-House Year Round Production Overview. Participants will study a complete years plan for hoop-house production. The presentation will cover crop choices, time tables, income potential and costs. The workshop is from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm with a cost of $35.

Checkout the details at the Foundation Farm website.

5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Bed and Breakfast Sweet Treats Cookie Tour

This will be the third year that a group of bed and breakfasts in Eureka Springs will be doing a cookie tour. The Alliance of Better Bed and Breakfasts in Eureka Springs, Arkansas will have eleven of their B&B members on the tour where people will be able to sample 22 different varieties of cookies, collect your favorite recipes, garner some holiday decorating ideas and enter a contest for a chance to win one of three $100 gift certificates valid at any of the Sweet Treats Cookie Tour participating members.

Checkout their website for more details.

Attending a play with your eyes closed

So, what's a BOP-RAP? Why, it's a Bunch Of People Reading A Play of course. The other night Jan and I went to the Eureka Springs Writer's Colony to listen to a play. A group of folks in town have been getting together a couple of times a month for a play reading. They pick a play, assign parts and then they read their parts without actually acting out the play. We didn't know what to expect, but it was quite enjoyable just sitting around on the couch and listening. While there was no physical acting, the actors (readers) still 'acted' out their parts using their voices.

The play was "I Hate Hamlet" by Paul Rudkin and it was hilarious. The group will be taking a break for the holiday season in Eureka Springs, AR., but plan on reviving their readings sometime after the first of the year.

The Writer's Colony is only about 2-3 minutes drive from our bed and breakfast so it's easy to get to. If you'll be in town, you may want to checkout whether they will be doing a reading. And, if you are so inclined, you could be asked to read a part. Enjoy!


5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR

Eureka Springs Winery is a prolific award winner

A few years back Eureka Springs, Arkansas became the home of Keels Creek Winery and Art Gallery. Not only is their wine excellent, but the art they have at their location is also of high quality.

Recently Keels Creek Winery won the won a gold medal and Best of Show award at the 2009 Arkansas State Fair Commercial Wine Competition for their 2006 Chambourcin Their Vivant won a 1st place, gold medal in its category and their Sweet Spring won a bronze medal in its category at the same competition.

Those aren't the only awards they have received. They have won Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for a number of their wines. The next time you visit 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast plan on going to their winery to taste some of their wines and enjoy the art they have for sale. We think you'll really enjoy yourselves. I know we have.



5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs, AR

Food and Wine Weekend Breakfast at 5 Ojo Inn B&B

If you've ever been to Eureka Springs, AR you know that we have more good restaurants than some large cities. Jan and I picked Eureka Springs to have our B&B because we were foodies in Dallas and we wanted to ensure we had some great dining experiences here for both ourselves and our guests at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast.

This year on November 12th through the 14th there will be a record eighteen restaurants and shops participating in the annual Eureka Springs Food and Wine Weekend.

Participating restaurants and businesses offer a wider variety of special events than in years past. You can attend wine tastings, eat some delectable dinners prepared by Eureka’s award winning chefs, enjoy special entrees, or attend educational seminars. Multi-course wine paired dinners have been expanded this year.

Here at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast we are talking about doing something special for that weekend. Any ideas?

5th Annual Eureka Springs, AR Fall Art Show

We love to visit the local galleries and artists studios to enjoy their creations. We really are lucky here in the Ozarks to have so many artists in one place. Did you know that Eureka Springs is listed as one of the top 25 art destinations?

To both view some of these artists work and even have a chance to buy some, you should plan on attending the 5th Annual Eureka Springs Fall Art Show presented by Arts Eureka. It will be at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center, Saturday, Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. It's just down the road from 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast.

This year's show features extended hours, new exhibitors offering art for sale, and artist's give-a-ways. All artwork is judged by a three-member panel that includes representatives from the University of Arkansas, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and KY3 TV of Springfield, Missouri.

A 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast favorite chocolate dessert

Here's a recipe for one of our favorite chocolate desserts. Chocolate, my favorite vitamin. We know where there are some great chocolate desserts at restaurants in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Next time you are in town, stop by and we'll point you to them.

Chocolate Amaretto Cake

------ Cake -----
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding mix (instant)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Amaretto
4 eggs
3/4 cup pecans; chopped
------ Sauce -----
1 stick Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
2 oz Amaretto

----- Cake -----
Put all cake ingredients, except the pecans, in a bowl, and mix for 2
minutes with an electric mixer.
Place pecans in bottom of greased bundt pan.
Pour batter over the pecans.
Bake at 325°F for 1 hour.

----- Sauce -----
Boil all sauce ingredients for 1 minute.
Using a skewer, poke holes in the cake while it's still hot.
Pour the sauce over the cake and let it soak in.
Cool for 20 minutes and remove the cake from the bundt pan.

Notes: Will stay moist for 3-4 days. Good with whipped cream on top.


5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR

Eureka Springs 62nd Ozark Folk Festival

The Eureka Springs, Arkansas Ozark Folk Festival is billed as the longest running Folk Festival in the country. This years festival is going back to it's roots and will feature more arts and crafts as it did in the early days. The festival is scheduled from November 5th through November 7th. There will be various artisans demonstrating their crafts such as spinning wheel artistry, woodcarving, soap making, as well as blacksmiths, candle pourers and silversmiths.

Of course there will still be some great music, both paid and free. Performers will be Loudon Wainwright III, Gary Jules, Fran Snyder, 3 Penny Acre, David Glaser, Kim Richardson, Sweet Wednesday, Susan Shore, and Jones Van Jones. On Friday and Saturday from noon to 4:00 p.m. there will be free music in Basin Spring Park.

A fun event will be the Songwriters in the Round at The Auditorium. Songwriters take turns singing their songs while other songwriters provide the background vocals.

Maybe we'll have to come up with a folk recipe for our bed and breakfast meal? Humm, have to think about that.

5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs, AR

Halloween Howls in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

What great fun we and our bed and breakfast guests had on Halloween night this year. As usual the historic loop where we are located was crowded with trick or treaters, young and old. Baby's dressed in cute bug and animal costumes, kids in transformer, ninja, princess, devil and all kinds of other kinds of costumes. We're always amazed and impressed with the number of adults who also dress up in costume. What a visual joy!

Being a town full of artists some of the costumes were very unique. Here's a picture of a couple who were lit up from head to toe.

We started at about 5:30 p.m. and handed out candy until 9:00 p.m. when we ran out of candy. We estimate there were around 500 kids this year. The candy store loves it.

There is a house down the street from us that has been called the Witches House for years. Their gazebo has a pointed roof which they drape in black plastic and put a face on the front. The design has been different over the years, but always creates a mini-traffic jam on Halloween night.

If you want to laugh and smile and see great costumes, join us next year here in Eureka Springs, Arkansas for an old-time classic night of Halloween Trick or Treat.



5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.