willowsbnb's blog

A usual winter time activity at the Willows Bed & Breakfast, soap making was done last week.  What can I say I'm a little behind!  This soap is a floral scented soap that contains beef tallow, olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, wheat germ oil and added glycerin.  The smaller bars in the foreground are complimentary bars in each of our guestrooms.  The larger bars are for sale in the cupboard in the dining room. 

I've just finished slicing and portioning out a home made Apple wood bacon.  I started with a local pork belly purchased at Adams Fairacre Farms.  I then did a three day brine using local Apple cider, molasses, brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and water.  I then cold smoked the bacon for five hours using trimmings from our heirloom apple orchard that I had run through our chipper and dried.

Here is a  link containing an wonderful article written about some of the sites and attractions here in Hyde Park especially the Roosevelt Home And Library.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/arts/roosevelt-ride-to-hyde-park-and-the-modern-presidency.html