Aleksander House Blog

Aleksander House Blog I wrote my first book there & am now publishing my 3rd one. The Aleksander House Bed and Breakfast is now closed.

Since the closing Aleksander Hse, I've had time to reflect on the 20 years I was an owner/innkeeper and how it changed my life.The most prominent change was the beginning of my life as an author. This page has been turned into a personal blog by the innkeeper, who has sold the inn and moved to Vermont.

Do you plan on writing another book? I just finished my third one and, at 90 years old, am giving some thought to writin...
04/16/2021

Do you plan on writing another book? I just finished my third one and, at 90 years old, am giving some thought to writing a fourth while I am still lucid. I've posted the cover of the third below.

Just tried it. Now we’ll see what happens.Thanks for the tip to bypass FB...it WORKS!! I have a whole new feed. I’m seei...
02/16/2020

Just tried it. Now we’ll see what happens.

Thanks for the tip to bypass FB...it WORKS!! I have a whole new feed. I’m seeing posts from people I haven’t seen in years. Here’s how to bypass the limited system FB now has in place. Their new algorithm chooses the same few people - about 25 - who will see your posts. Hold your finger down anywhere in this post and click on "copy". Go to your page to start a new post. Touch your finger anywhere in the blank field. Click on paste. This will bypass the system. Hi new and old friends! Missed you
Seeing if this really works....???

12/12/2019

Thinking about Christmas dinner at my daughter and son-in-law's this year. Both are good cooks, my daughter being exemplary. The three of us planned the meal together. A beef tenderloin will be the meat selection, accompanied by a Mushroom-Barley dish, Asparagus and Acorn squash with cranberries baked in butter. My son-in-law requested sauteed brusselsprouts with Maple syrup, and bacon bits. Yuk! to the Brusselsprouts from both my daughter and me (not to the bacon & Maple syrup.) But, John will get them as they are a very special treat to him. Finally, for dessert: flour-less chocolate cake with real whipped cream. I have been on a mini-diet for a few days, getting ready for this special Feast of the Nativity.

10/13/2019

Every once in a while I think back to the time I was an innkeeper in Louisville, Kentucky (for 20 years). I cannot believe I ran that bed and breakfast on my own, doing most of the cooking and overseeing the running of it.
I opened it on a whim, at the suggestion of a friend, who knew I was somewhat introverted (and still am, that's why being a writer suits me.) My first published book was started while I was still innkeeping. That's what I did when I was not engaged in cheffing and managing my inn.

09/14/2019

TOMATO BREAKFAST PIE
INGREDIENTS
1 baked deep dish pie shell
5 large tomatoes sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 sweet onion thinly sliced
8 large fresh basil leaves chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lay tomato slices out onto a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Reserve some slices for decorating top, if desired.
Layer tomato slices, onion, and basil into the pie shell. Season with black pepper.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Spread over the top of the tomatoes to cover the top of the pie. Arrange decorative slices on top, if desired.
Bake in the preheated 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Serve hot.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs Most people love scrambled eggs. At my bed and breakfast, I only had a couple of guests over the ...
09/14/2019

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Most people love scrambled eggs. At my bed and breakfast, I only had a couple of guests over the past twenty years who didn't. My theory is that they never tasted any that were perfectly prepared. A couple of rules will help to produce a delicious product with the right texture, which is one of the most important elements for perfection. We pretty much perfected them at the Aleksander House over the years.

I found a wonderful video that does a great job of explaining exactly how to make wonderful scrambled eggs. Unfortunately, it is no longer available, but, for the most part, it's exactly the way I've been making them since I discovered (years ago) that adding milk was the absolute wrong thing to do.

If you must increase the end product, add a small amount of heavy cream or sour cream. And, BTW, I usually add cheese. Philadelphia Cream cheese with chives and onion is a great choice, as is cheddar or other favorite kinds. And, for myself, I love throwing in baby spinach leaves and maybe a little onion and chopped tomato at the end.

Recipe from Kim, modified by KimRicotta and Spinach Stuffed Zucchini Rolls in Marinara SauceSide Dishes; VegetablesPrep ...
09/01/2019

Recipe from Kim, modified by Kim

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Zucchini Rolls in Marinara Sauce
Side Dishes; Vegetables

Prep 30 mins ∙ Cook 30 mins ∙ Makes Servings: 4 serves ∙ Source This recipe has been modified by Kim. Original recipe from diethood.com.

INGREDIENTS
2 to 3 firm large zucchini (at least 8” long and 1½ -2” thick), sliced lengthwise, ~1/8-inch thick (about 12-16 slices). To determine ideal thickness of slices, cut one slice and practice rolling (estimate rolling around the filling).
To remove excess water, salt the zucchini slices for about 15 minutes. Pat dry before adding in the filling (do not skip this step)
1 bag (8 ounces) baby spinach
1 1/2 cups part-skim or whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 cup shredded part-skim or whole milk mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375F.

Oil 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbl olive oil in large skillet set over medium heat.

Add spinach to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, or until wilted.

Remove spinach from skillet and let cool for a couple minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, beaten egg, garlic, herbs salt, and pepper; mix until combined. Add wilted spinach and combine thouroughly.

Lay out the slices of zucchini on a working surface and place a spoonful (heaping tbsp ) of the ricotta mixture on top of each zucchini slice.

Roll up and transfer to the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.

Repeat with remaining zucchini and ricotta mixture.

Spoon marinara on top of the zucchini, and sprinkle all over with mozzarella cheese.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an addiotional 5-10 min until bubbly, slightly browned and the zucchini is tender.

Garnish with basil ribbons and serve.

I'm no longer in the bed and breakfast business but still into the business of good food. Although I cannot cook as I us...
08/30/2019

I'm no longer in the bed and breakfast business but still into the business of good food. Although I cannot cook as I used to for the B&B, my daughter has taken over the job of chief cook and bottle washer for our family up here in Vermont.

She is a wonderful cook and should have been a chef but instead, she's chosen to be a psychotherapist, with gardening and cooking as hobbies. She and my son-in-law are real foodies and love to experiment with dishes from all over the world. He sometimes cooks too.

I will ask her is I can post a few of the dishes I've tasted, which were particularly delicious. And, if she agrees, I will post them here. The most recent one she served me was Pastichio, a Greek dish that I am very familiar with.

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Essex Junction, VT
05452

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