one month in……

We have been open now for nearly a month and both Mr R and I are amazed at how well things are going….. and no there haven’t been any cross words yet….. just a “Mr R, these breakfasts need to go” “just doing this first dear” “No Mr R, they need to go NOW” – well we don’t want the guests breakfasts going cold, do we? They soon shifted to the dining room! Our guests are quite traditional with their breakfast choices, but the daily breakfast specials have gone down well – homemade waffles with berries and creme fraiche or bacon and maple syrup, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, American pancakes (as requested by a lady staying with us for the week) and I’ve also been testing coconut French toast which will feature at a later date……need to try the brioche version first!! I have also had my first hollandaise request….. made fresh to order and no tears. I had tested this previously and the quality assurance Doodle passed it with flying colours. I like to serve some baked products on the buffet table and have previously posted my muffin loaf recipe. I also serve no bake breakfast bars which we also use for our packed lunches, if requested by the guests. These went down really well with the lady who was staying with us for a week as she had a packed lunch each day, she then requested the recipe to try at home, so I thought I would share it with you too. No bake breakfast bars. 160g chopped soft dates 60g smooth peanut butter 40g honey 🍯 4 tbsp sunflower seeds 4 tbsp chia seeds 100g porridge oats 50g crushed dry roasted peanuts Method Process the dates until finely chopped with a tbsp of boiling water, they will come together into a ball/paste. Heat the peanut butter and honey in a saucepan on a low heat until smooth and pourable. Stir all the remaining ingredients with the dates in a bowl. Pour over the peanut butter/honey mix. Mix really well, use your hands if necessary to evenly distribute the ingredients. Line a 20cm tin with baking paper. Tip in the mixture and press down with your fist. Cover and chill for 20 minutes before cutting into bars. Crumbly but very tasty Keeps for three days in an airtight container – refrigerate. Can be frozen and thawed at room temperature overnight. I am making muffin and breakfast bars bars today as we have guests arriving tomorrow.