The Barn Inn: November 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Journey to Bethlehem Nativity Walnut Creek, Ohio

Experience the Journey to Bethlehem Nativity in Walnut Creek, Ohio, December 3, 2010. You will experience the drama, sights, and sounds of first-century Israel with eight stops representing the search for the new-born King. This self-guided tour will feature a short drama by costumed actors portraying varying aspects of the Christmas story, and will conclude at The Farm at Walnut Creek. The event will be ongoing from 4 pm to 9 pm. You can expect the tour to take about one to two hours.

Carolers will stroll the streets and add to the festive spirit. Stops will be marked by hundred of luminaries, and live animals will be featured at several locations. You will drive between several of the stops, but plan to walk between the stops in the village of Walnut Creek.

The Barn Inn in Millersburg, Ohio, perfect for your holiday stay, offers the finest of accommodations, serves a memorable breakfast, and is festively decorated for the holidays. Call 877-674-7600 or go online for reservations.

There is no fee for the tour; however a non-perishable food drive for

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Recipe

These Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are our favorite sugar cookies here at The Barn Inn in Holmes County, Ohio. Not only are they delicious, but they are easy to handle when rolling out.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup sour cream
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
5-6 cups flour

In a mixing bowl cream together the sour cream, sugar, and butter. Add eggs and whip, then add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then mix into the creamed ingredients. When mixing, I prefer to not put more than 5 1/2 cups of flour into the dough. The more flour that is added, the dryer the cookies will be. The batter will be soft, so place in the refrigerator for at least two hours before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To roll out, place a liberal amount of flour on your counter surface, perhaps 1/4 cup of flour. Place a mound of dough onto the flour and somewhat pat it down. Pat some flour on the top of the dough so that your rolling pin will not stick. With a rolling pin, roll the dough to a "fat" 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place cutouts onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 6 minutes on lower oven shelf then move to top shelf and bake another 6 minutes. Do not overbake. Ovens may vary. You will want to bake cookies only until the center of the cookie does not dip down when you touch it with your finger. Remove from oven before they become browned. Remove from cookie sheet as soon as you bring them out of the oven.

On November 29, 2010 I corrected the amount of soda in the recipe. Enjoy!

Posted by Loretta Coblentz
For questions, please email us at loretta@thebarninn.com

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Pecan Bars

November 13, 2010
The most requested cookie recipe at The Barn Inn, Holmes County Ohio, is Pecan Pie Bars, a treat that will not disappoint. Whether you're baking for the holidays, a family gathering, or you simply want a wonderful treat for snacking, this is the perfect choice.

PECAN PIE BARS

Crust:
3 cups flour                                          Mix until crumbly. Press into a large baking sheet.
4 tablespoons brown sugar                   Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
1 cup butter
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6 eggs                                                  Beat well in a mixer.
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1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 cups chopped pecans
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt                                 Combine ingredients and mix well.
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Pour over baked crust, return to oven and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
These freeze well.

Happy baking from our inn to your inn or home!

Submitted by Loretta Coblentz, The Barn Inn Bed and Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio, (330)-674-7600 http://www.thebarninn.com/

Monday, November 8, 2010

Ohio's Strictest Amish Hold to Standard Time

With our change from daylight-saving time to standard time, I reminded our inn guests that our strictest relatives and neighbors, those of the Swartzentruber sect, are among some Amish who, in resistance to the world, do not move their clocks forward in the spring for daylight-saving time.

Among the society, during daylight-saving time, we will hear them speaking of "slow time" or "fast time". As of Sunday, November 7, we are on standard time, so now we have the same time as the strictest sects. In keeping with their teachings of non-conformity and separation from the world, they hold to old ways and resist modernization. A Biblical passage often quoted is, "Be ye not conformed to the world..."

The Amish were not the only people who resisted the idea of daylight saving time when Benjamin Franklin introduced the idea in 1784; however, they are among the few who have not transitioned to this practice. The old order and new order Amish do change their clocks with the world around them. For more information about the Amish and Mennonites plan to visit the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center in Berlin, Ohio where they have a 365' mural depicting the European history of our people.

Loretta Coblentz, The Barn Inn

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Barn Inn Showcased in Holmes County Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns - Holiday Event

Plan now to attend the Amish Country Lodging Council's Annual Christmas cookie Tour of Inns to be held Sunday and Monday, December 5 & 6, 2010, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Cookies, good cheer and inspiring holiday decor will inspire those touring The Barn Inn and eleven other inns decked out in their holiday finery.

This year's inn-to-inn self-guided tour will showcase culinary chef, Jim Barnes, author of the newly released cookbook "Family Desserts: 55 recipes for every occasion," a book featuring easy to follow recipes and desserts for all occasions. Each stop on the tour offers patrons a specialty cookie, inspirational decor, music, and, at selected locations, treats or holiday inspirations presented by local businesses. Ahh, the magic of Christmas! Santa Clause himself will make a pre-Christmas appearance at the Comfort Inn in Millersburg.

Event tickets will be available for purchase October 1, 2010 by calling the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce office at 330-674-3975 or purchase on line at www.christmascookietour.com. Tickets are date specific and are not interchangeable. Prices Adults $25, Children (ages 3-12) $15. Ticket sales are limited.

In the Spirit of Christmas giving the ACLC will donate 100% of net profit of ticket sales to Hospice of Holmes County and The Love Center Food Bank.

Duggar Family Visit The Barn Inn

Since their Amish Country stay at The Barn Inn on May 31, 2009, people still ask us how it was to have the Duggar family as guests. Aside from the Duggar children's near "perfect" behavior, I was impressed by the composure of Michelle and Jim-Bob. Responsibilities and authority are well defined and delegated in this family; each younger child under the charge of an elder sibling. They as orderly and polite as you see them on TV, all displaying mutual respect for others.

Breakfast buffet allowed the Duggar family to dine within a specified time. The children, older and younger, filled the dining tables first, and as they were ready to go outside, many of them thanked me for the wonderful breakfast (parents were still in their room). There were no loud noises in the dining room and no fussing. Afterward the children went out to see the animals and Michelle and Jim-Bob came to the dining room and enjoyed a quiet, stress-free breakfast. Michelle was relaxed. Jim-Bob, a man I describe as "Gentle in spirit", was soft-spoken and very much in charge of his family.

I gave the children grain to feed Matilda, the goat. After several minutes our son said, "Maybe Matilda's had enough grain; we wouldn't want her to get a tummy ache." With that, each handed back his or her grain without any complaints. Amazing! This single incident impressed me more than anything else.