Is it really Fall in Americus?

When you take a walk outside, you can see signs of autumn all around. The leaves of the tulip poplar are turning yellow.Although the pecans are not quite ready, some have started falling from the trees.
The parrotia tree has started to turn orange, but, only on the side that faces west.

Some of the nandina bushes are full of red berries.

Almost everyone asks us about this plant. It is a "false cypress".

Although the crepe myrtle trees still have flowers, the leaves have begun to change.

One of my favorite flowers of the season, the Confederate rose.

You might think that fall would bring cooler weather. Well, I just looked at the thermometer on the porch. In the shade, it is 88 degrees! No wonder the butterflies are still around.

Thank you for allowing me to share my day with you. Hope you are having a Happy Day.

My favorite muffins - Gluten Free Cheese Muffins

When I first discovered that I was gluten and soy intolerant, I had trouble finding foods that agreed with me. For a while, I lived on corn chips. In the beginning of my "journey", I could not tolerate dairy products, eggs or anything with fiber. But, once I eliminated soy and gluten from my diet, I found that some dairy was tolerable. That is when I found this recipe. I love these muffins. Before I started making these, I felt deprived. I bake delicious goodies every day for our B&B guests and I could not even try a bite. It was very hard for me to stay positive. These muffins saved the day. Hope you like them, too.

I start with Bob's Red Mill Organic rice flour. The brown rice flour does not agree with me, so I use white.
Mix in some baking powder, salt and sugar. The original recipe called for cayenne pepper. I use chipotle chili pepper.
In another bowl, place one egg and 1 cup of milk.
Whisk those together.
You can use any cheese, but, I prefer shredded sharp cheddar (not the finely shredded).
Place the cheese in the bowl with the dry ingredients
and mix thoroughly.
Time to grease the pans. I like to make 6 jumbo muffins. You can make 12 small ones, if you prefer. I'm sure you could use PAM or shortening instead of butter, but, I use butter.
Time to combine the wet ingredients with the dry.
Stir until combined.
Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden.
Let them cool a few minutes before removing from the pan.
If you like cheese biscuits, you will love these muffins. I like to reheat them in the oven so the outside gets nice and crusty and the inside is soft and cheesy. YUMMY!

GLUTEN FREE CHEESE MUFFIN RECIPE

1 1/2 cups rice flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp chipotle chili pepper (if you use cayenne instead, use much less!)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg

1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Combine egg and milk in small bowl. Whisk well.
4. Grease a 6 cup jumbo muffin pan or 12 cup regular muffin pan.
5. Add cheese to dry ingredients mixing well.
6. Add egg/milk mixture to cheese/flour and mix well.
7. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin pan.
8. Bake 15 minutes for jumbo, 12 minutes for regular or until golden brown.
9. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack.
10. Enjoy!

Thank you for joining me in the kitchen at the Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast. This recipe can be varied by adding bacon, ham or vegetables, Italian spices, change the cheese, etc. Let me know how yours turn out!

Fall Photos of our Americus Georgia Garden

Take a stroll with me through the garden at the Americus Garden Inn as we truly begin to see the transition of summer to fall. Remember to click on the photos for a larger image.

The cannas are still in bloom. There is actually fruit on the pineapple guava bushes. Kim tasted one and said it was reminiscent of a kiwi with hints of citrus.
Around the yard, there is the wonderful floral fragrance of tea olive.

The dogwood leaves are showing color.

Red foliage is apparent on the blueberry bushes.

The Chinese flame tree has what looks like two red pom-poms in this view of the path towards the gazebo.

A closeup of the foliage.

A look at the oakleaf hydrangea.

The Indian Hawthorn is covered with berries.

The lantana is thriving in this cooler weather,
So is the purple queen,
And the knockout roses.
A perfect bud for you, my friends!
Thanks for taking some time with me today. There are photo ops all over the garden so you can expect more photos from me soon. Hope you are enjoying a glorious day.

Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast Awarded 2010 - 2011 Top 10 Award for Best Innkeepers

We just received another award! Many thanks to all of you who have helped us by spreading the word about the Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast. Here is a copy of the press release which you can also find online by clicking here and if you want to see which inns join us in the Top 10 the original press release from bedandbreakfast.com is here

KIM AND SUSAN EGELSEER OF AMERICUS GARDEN INN BED AND BREAKFAST CHOSEN AS BEST INNKEEPERS IN THE BEST OF BEDANDBREAKFAST.COM AWARDS

Americus, Georgia: -- Kim and Susan Egelseer, Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast in Americus, Georgia were selected as Best Innkeepers in the annual Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards, 2010-2011. The Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards are based upon a qualitative and quantitative review of the nearly 150,000 independent reviews submitted to BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online B&B directory and reservation network worldwide.

"BedandBreakfast.com surveys show that independent reviews are the most important factor when choosing a B&B. In fact, according to BedandBreakfast.com's most recent survey, 96% of consumers consider reviews to be somewhere between important and essential when selecting a place to stay, and 12% will not make a reservation at a property without them. We're delighted that inngoers concur that Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast is deserving of its accolades from travelers," explained BedandBreakfast.com's Sandy Soule, one of the most highly recognized authors and a spokeswoman for the B&B industry. "Clearly, Kim and Susan Egelseer earned stellar reviews from inngoers for its quality accommodations, breakfasts, amenities, and wonderful hospitality and service," commented Soule.

"It is truly an honor to be chosen for a Best of BedandBreakfast.com award for the second year in a row, and we truly appreciate our wonderful guests for taking the time to share their experiences at the Americus Garden Inn", stated Susan Egelseer, Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast owner/innkeeper. "Our guests have been incredibly generous with their comments about our hospitality, accommodations, breakfasts and attention to the details," commented Kim Egelseer. Here are just a few excerpts from our reviews: "A lovely inn tucked away in a lovely town." "The friendliness, welcoming attitudes of Kim and Susan, and wonderful breakfast are all unmatched!" "Best B&B experience ever, all due to really caring and solicitous owners, Susan & husband, Kim!"

About the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast: Beautiful 1847 antebellum mansion, located less than 3 hours south of Atlanta, in the residential historic district of Americus, GA featuring 8 spacious suites all with private in-room bath and King or Queen beds. Situated on 1.5 acres, hundreds of perennials, shrubs, and trees create a secluded garden paradise complimented by the meandering path, gazebo, and koi pond. The Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast provides a unique lodging experience in Americus, Georgia that delights and impresses guests with gracious hospitality, impeccable cleanliness, and creative, nutritious, and delicious breakfast foods in comfortably elegant surroundings. To learn more, visit http://www.americusgardeninn.com/ or call 229-931-0122.

For a complete list of all winners, including regional and international Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners, please visit www.BedandBreakfast.com and click Winners 2010-2011. Founded in 1995, BedandBreakfast.com is highly recommended by The New York Times, Real Simple, Forbes, Travel & Leisure, USA TODAY and many others. To learn about more than 11,000 other perfect choices for your next B&B getaway, visit BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online bed and breakfast directory and reservation network worldwide.

Earlier this year the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast was chosen for two TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice® awards - for the first time, one of the Top 10 Best Bed & Breakfast Inns in the World and for the fourth consecutive year, as one of the Top 10 Best Bed & Breakfast in the United States by TripAdvisor® in its 2010 Travelers’ Choice® awards. Now in its eighth year, the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards honor the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers. TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice® winners are based on the millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions about hotels on tripadvisor.com™ and content from across the web. For the complete 2010 Travelers’ Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice

Kim and Susan Egelseer
Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast
504 Rees Park
Americus, Georgia 31709
229-931-0122
http://www.americusgardeninn.com/
info@americusgardeninn.com

Small Batch Oatmeal Cookie Muffins

I promised to share this recipe that I made almost a week ago. I was looking for a recipe that combined whole grains for a healthier version of a decadent treat. I did not find what I was looking for, so, I combined some elements of some of my pancake recipes and came up with this recipe for a small batch of oatmeal cookie muffins. Remember, you can click on the photos to see a larger image.I started with some old fashioned Quaker Oats.I combined the oats with boiling water and let them sit overnight in the refrigerator.
In a mixing bowl, I whisked all my dry ingredients: all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
I like oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and raisins, don't you?
I mixed the chocolate chips and raisins into the dry ingredients.

Here you can see the raisins and chips are totally mixed in.

Overnight, the oats have totally absorbed all of the water. I let them come to room temperature before moving on with the recipe.

In a small bowl, I combined the egg with the oil.

Then, whisked in the vanilla.

Looks good.

Time to add the oats to the wet ingredients.

Mixed with a rubber spatula until combined.

Dry ingredients were added to the mix.

And mixed until combined. It was a little too dry, so I added a splash of buttermilk to smooth it out.

The batter was evenly portioned into 8 muffin cups. I always half fill empty cups with water to prevent the pan from overheating. The steam also helps with the baking process.

In a 400 degree oven for about 18 minutes and they looked perfect.

I let them cool for about 5 - 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

This is what a finished oatmeal cookie muffin looked like just before Kim ate it! YUMMY!

small batch OATMEAL COOKIE MUFFIN RECIPE

Yields 8 muffins

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup raisins

1 large egg

2 TBS oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

splash of buttermilk (if needed)

Combine oats with boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 8 muffin tins with liners or spray with PAM.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Add chocolate chips and raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk egg with oil. Add vanilla.

Add oatmeal to wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

Add dry ingredients to wet, adding splash of buttermilk if too dry to mix well.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Fill empty tins halfway with water.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown and wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on cooling rack for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack to cool.

These oatmeal cookie muffins were even better tasting the next day, according to my husband, Kim. I prefer to bake every morning so that the entire house smells like fresh muffins. But, it's good to know that you can enjoy these muffins for several days - if they last that long!

Hope you enjoyed following along with this new recipe. I've already had a request to make these with nuts. I'm sure they would also be good with craisins, maybe some coconut, or how about peanut butter chips? Let me know what you think.

Thanks for visiting Susan's kitchen at the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast. I look forward to sharing my home with you again soon.