A busy couple of weeks...

We finally got a little bit of a chill in the air here at the manor, so I have been trying out some fall recipes--I am working on a baked oatmeal and dried cherry chocolate scones.  I will post those when I have them perfected.  In the meantime, we have had several visitors worth mentioning.
About two weeks ago, we had the privilege of meeting the last direct descendant of John and Adelphia Markward, who built the house and were its first residents.  They were married October 29, 1880, and the portrait on the Manor homepage was taken on their wedding day.  John O. Markward, the great grandson of John and Adelphia and his lovely wife, Annette, came out to see the Manor.  We had a wonderful visit--they filled us in on a lot of family history and they also gave me permission to use some of Aunt Francis's Remembrances on the blog.  I will be adding a special series called "Aunt Francis Remembers."  Francis was the younger daughter of John and Adelphia and she lived here at the house until she went off to school as a girl.  She took the time to write her memories down and Annette has transcribed and preserved them.  Francis's memories of her childhood home and of Lampasas add precious color and detail to the history of the house.  Below is a photograph of the Markward Store on the Lampasas Square, also graciously provided by the Markwards.

We were really thrilled to have them out and we hope to see them again soon.  :)

The Markward Manor B&B has had its first famous-ish guest!  This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting Ed Beckley, the World's Largest Motorcycle Jumper.  He and his charming companion were interesting guests and we enjoyed visiting with them.  You can find out more about Ed on his website.  He does motorcycle shows and events all over the country.  

Enjoy the cooler weather wherever you are and we hope you will come and visit Lampasas soon.

Fall has officially started, that means it is time for pumpkin muffins...

I have a few recipes I have been working on for fall.  Pumpkin is one of my favorites, I always look forward to pumpkin bread, muffins and lattes.  This past weekend, I made the first pumpkin muffins of the season.  I decided to use the last of the summer blueberries and wed two of my favorite things.

Recipe for Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins:

2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. (I use a little more) canned pumpkin
1 c. blueberries


Mix the flour, spices, soda and salt in a small bowl.  Put the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin in the bowl of a mixer and mix on low/medium until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low.  Don't over mix.  The key to a good crumb on a muffin is not to over mix, trust me.  Stir in the blueberries with a wooden spoon.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your muffin cups. I made mini-bundts, so it was about 28-30 minutes.  You could also use dried cranberries or cherries, or fresh cranberries in this recipe for a change.

Another guest favorite that would go really well with these muffins is a crustless quiche recipe I found in the New York Times.  Here is the variation I liked best.

Crustless Quiche:

1 c. half and half
3 eggs at room temperature
3/4 grated Gruyere cheese (I have also used Jarlsberg, but the Gruyere is my favorite.)
1/4 grated parmesan
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. cayenne

Mix all ingredients--I usually mix the eggs and half and half with the spices first and then add the cheese.  Pour into greased/buttered ramekins and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.  They should be set, but may still wiggle in the middle.
Don't be tempted to use milk instead of the half and half--the flavor is worth the exra fat.  Just take a walk around the block or do some extra sit-ups.  Also, do not be tempted to skip the cayenne.  It does not make the quiche hot or spicy, it adds just the right amount of flavor to a relatively plain dish.  The flavor comes from the half and half, cheese and cayenne, so be sure to use a cheese that you like.

I am off to go enjoy an afternoon muffin and coffee!

Our first review!

We have enjoyed several guests over the summer and we have received out first review.  You can read it on Trip Advisor. (Search for Markward Manor.)  I am so glad that our guests enjoyed their stay with us.  We hope that as the weather cools off we may have more guests come to enjoy the cool mornings on the terrace and a nice warm cup of coffee with a great view.

Make a reservation for the  wine tour weekend September 26-27 or, coming in October 10, the 21st Annual Herb and Art Festival in Lampasas.

As promised, pictures of Portia's Suite...

We finally have the suite finished for both guests and for a bridal changing room during weddings.  You can see the final product below--minus a few finishing touches, like window treatments that I will be adding this week.  We are thrilled to have a reservation for Labor Day weekend so our first guests can try it out.

Coming on September 26--the Lampasas County Wine Tour.  Book your stay with us and reserve a seat on the bus--you can let someone else do the driving while you visit 5 local wineries.  Your $60 ticket includes a picnic lunch and tastings at all wineries plus a goodie bag.  

If you stay at the Manor, you can return to a quiet evening on the terrace and enjoy the peace of your private room with a delicious breakfast the next morning before you make a leisurely drive home.

Try these for a quick sweet that is high impact and low effort...

Saturday, we hosted an open house for prospective brides and wedding planners.  We appreciate everyone who braved the heat and came out.  One of the goodies we served was inspired by a Nutella Croissant I saw at HEB.  It is an easy treat that will make you look like a gourmet.

Buy some small croissants--I even cut them in half, so that guests could try several cookies without feeling too full.  Then slice most of the way through the roll.  Spread a little Nutella on the inside (about 2 teaspoons) and top with powdered sugar.  It tastes great, it looks wonderful, and it doesn't have you slaving over a hot stove in the middle of August.

We have finally finished Portia's Suite--I will be posting pictures next week!

We have had several more guests and we enjoy our time with each of them.  Our last guests visited the Legato Winery, right here in Lampasas.  They had a great time.  When you come and visit, we will be happy to give you ideas for a  weekend away in the Hill Country.  Come and see us soon!

Finally got the carpet off the stairs...

Renovations on the Carriage House continue apace.  We have had our first B&B guests, and they were great.  One of the things I always thought would be fun about running a B&B is meeting people from different places, and that is so true.  We have already heard some really good stories.  Breakfast items included zucchini bread, ham and cheddar scones, and blueberry gingerbread.  We can't wait to have more guests!

This week we finally got the carpet on the stairs ripped up.  This is in the main house, but we hope that eventually some brides may want to have portraits made on the staircase.  It looks as if whoever put the carpet in also took off some wood trim, which is really too bad.  We will need to sand and refinish the stairs, but before we do, I think I will have a look around for some trim to match the side of the staircase. This picture doesn't show it too well, but you may be able to see what I am talking about.

We will be hosting Tea and Tours on August 15 from 1-5 PM, so I will be turning my attention to planning what cookies to make for that.  I will have to put renovations on hold for now.

Spring Ho is Coming Soon...

While the work on the Manor and the Carriage House continues unabated, we are all anticipation for our first Spring Ho, an annual festival here in Lampasas.  Spring Ho runs from July 6, through July 12 and there are tons of things to do, including swimming in the spring-fed pool (hence the name Spring Ho), to parades, fireworks, and arts and crafts festival, live music, and my personal favorite the 10k run.  I will be donning my running shoes and slathering on the sunscreen for what is billed as the Toughest 10K in Texas.  I am not sure if that refers to the heat or the hills; possibly both.  Hope I make it to the finish line.  :)

For more information on Spring Ho, see the official website here.