Apple Crunch Bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling

2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 can (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuits

1/2 cup chopped nuts
Directions:

1. In saucepan, melt butter, stir in brown sugar, apple pie filling, cinnamon and vanilla. Spread half of apple mixture in 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2. Separate biscuits; cut each into quarters. Arrange pieces, points up, over mixture. Spoon remaining mixture over biscuits; sprinkle with nuts.
3. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm.

One of the Bridgeford House guest favorites. Enjoy!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Last year a wonderful show came to town. Intrigue Theater will make you doubt your common good sense. We are very excited that they will be coming back for spring break, March 16-31 and then returning for the whole summer on June 28th, right back into our own Victorian auditorium. You will travel back to an age of Intrigue during the Victorian era and witness an evening of incredible and mysterious demonstrations performed by an Illusionist and a Medium.  The evening also features special guests from the other side.

Folks, we have seen this show and it is awesome! And it will make you wonder…

This is a wonderful portrayal of entertainment back in the Victorian age, complete with fabulous costumes and the vernacular of that particular age. But what is most exciting is the performance itself, which includes magical demonstrations, feats of astonishing mental capabilities, and elements of spiritualism, as observed and celebrated in the 19th century – spirits may make their presence known with whispered answers and unexplained phenomenon.

Sean-Paul actually rifled through Sam’s purse, pulling out object after object, while Juliana, blindfolded and up on stage quite a ways from where we were sitting, told him what each one of them was. How the heck did they do that?

Come see for yourself. Spring break is a wonderful time to visit Eureka Springs Arkansas and see that the ghosts really do have all the answers! Come stay with us and get discounted tickets to see this unique show (yep, you can walk there!).

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) – and Sophie, too!

If you’re a runner or a bicyclist, you need to come to Eureka Springs for some great events. We’ll post in a future blog about cycling, but we do have some running events coming soon and we wanted to make sure you knew about them!

Yep, we have the Santa’s on Spring Fun Run. But that’s not until December…if you head on down here this month, we have the Freakin Eurekan 15K Trail Race, on February 11th (that’s a really busy weekend around here!). Eureka Springs’s first footrace of the year dashes along the challenging course at Lake Leatherwood, starting at 10 a.m. The race takes place in any weather, along the same course every year, unless the trail is snow-covered, which happened in 2011. In most years, the weather is good, with temperatures in the mid-40s. Roughly 100 runners participate in the 15K race each year, mainly from Arkansas. The proceeds from the 2012 race will benefit the University of Arkansas Cycling Club.

On March 10th, the 30th Annual Victorian Classic Road Race takes place. A 10K run, a 2 mile run and a 2 mile fun walk all take place in the beautiful downtown historic district (they go right in front of our B&B!) Proceeds benefit ECHO (Eureka Christian Health Organization) and Carroll County Food Banks.

In beautiful May, there is a run with a twist, the 3rd Annual Run Eureka, benefiting Clear Spring School. A scavenger hunt fun run for the whole family, runners/walkers explore Eureka Springs while solving clues and completing challenges from point to point to win prizes. Teams are encouraged to wear costumes and be prepared for zany fun!

XTERRA Eureka Springs is on June 9, starting at 7 a.m., and features an off-road Triathlon and 5 mile trail run. With over 60 races on the XTERRA America Tour in 2011, XTERRA Eureka Springs was ranked FIRST overall by racers who participated in a post-race survey. XTERRA Eureka Springs offers a beautiful venue, challenging course and a production crew that pulls out all the stops.

August 12-14 brings the Eurekan Multi-Sport Event, which in its 2nd year has been a very popular swimming-biking-foot race event. The three-day multi-sport festival consists of a sprint-distance triathlon on Friday afternoon, road bike tour rides and racing on Saturday morning and running races on Sunday. Participants can enter individual events or take “The Eurekan” challenge. Any participant who enters the “The Eurekan” who can complete the triathlon, 100 mile ride and 10K run will be known as “The Eurekan”!

And last, but not least, is the Santa’s on Spring Fun Run, which takes place on December 1st. This is also the best Christmas weekend in town, with the Living Windows Contest, the Candlelight Tour of Homes, Christmas activities at the Crescent Hotel, and the John Two Hawkes Christmas Concert at the Auditorium. Definitely a wonderful time to visit our beautiful town!

But you don’t really need a specifc event to come run in the Ozarks. Check out these running maps to put together your own personal event. And when you’re done…come soak in one of our Jacuzzis!

Until then,

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 11, 2012, for chocolate gorging.

There is chocolate sampling all day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults ($6 for children) and worth every penny, because you get to take a box around with you to all the display tables, chow down on samples AND fill up the box for wonderful chocolate to take home. You will see some wonderful displays (great for ideas for weddings and parties) and one of my favorite things in the whole wide-world:  chocolate fountains.

The Chocolate Lovers’ Festival is always planned every year to coincide with Valentine’s Weekend, so what could be more perfect? This is a nationally acclaimed festival, which has been featured in the national media, including Southern Living magazine. On top of that, it has been selected as the second-best attraction for Valentine’s Day in the state of Arkansas!

A complete world of chocolate appreciation will be featured at the 8th Annual Chocolate Lovers’ Festival including cakes, cookies, ice cream, multiple dipping fountains, beverages and more. Chocolate novelty items and body products will be on hand as well.

We will be happy to host you here at the Bridgeford House Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs Arkansas – and we will help you eat the chocolate, too, if you just end up with way too much (is there such a thing?) Weather so far this winter has been gorgeous, so come on up to Eureka! Sophie’s waiting in the window!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

We have a wonderful treasure right here in Eureka Springs. It’s call ESSA, The Eureka Springs School of the Arts. This venue offers  workshops in arts and crafts throughout the year for interested, emerging and professional artists. Award-winning and noted artists and crafts persons guide students to learn new art forms and expand their current skill levels. Their mission statement says it all: In the belief that art is vital to the human spirit, the Eureka Springs School of the Arts is committed to cultivating, promoting, and encouraging artistic expression by providing art education opportunities in a unique environment of beauty and creativity.

Examples of some classes include “Intro to Wheel Throwing in Clay” for beginning students, taught in a real artist’s studio by Terry L. Russell, who has been a clay artist for 40 years. Students will learn the basic skills for making vessels on the potters wheel.

Or you could try “Introduction to Jewelry Making”, “Metalsmithing: Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet”, “Basic Acrylic Painting” and even “Marketing for the Professional Artist Series”. There is “Digital Photography”, “Introduction to Botanical Painting”, or “Bookmaking”. A wide variety of classes are offered and you can see their 2012 calendar on their website.

There are even limited scholarships that are available, awarded on the basis of merit and need and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Come stay with us while you study – we’ll make sure you’re well-fed and get to where you need to go. And we would love to see your work when you finish!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Here is an awesome recipe we discovered recently in a Texas B&B cookbook. We served it for the first time over New Year’s weekend and it was fantastic! Try it this winter for a special Sunday morning breakfast.

French Baked Pancake

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temp, plus 3 tb butter, melted
4 tb sugar
3 eggs plus 2 eggs
2 cups flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.25 cups milk
3 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 tsp salt
1 21-ounce can blueberry pie filling
3/4 cup blueberry syrup (about 1/2 of a 12-ounce bottle)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tb powdered sugar
grated zest of 1 orange, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the 1 stick of butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add 3 eggs; beat well. Combine flour and baking powder. Mix flour mixture and milk alternately into butter mixture. Pour 1/2 batter in pan.

Mix cottage cheese, 2 eggs, the 3 tbs melted butter and salt in a medium bowl. Spread over the batter in the pan. Top with remaining batter. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix and heat blueberry pie filling and syrup together in a saucepan to make a blueberry sauce. Mix sour cream, vanilla and powdered sugar together in a small bowl to make a sour cream sauce.

Cut baked pancake into squares. Serve with blueberry sauce and a dollop of sour cream sauce.

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Winter is here and I’ve always loved this time of the year because it’s quiet. Our regular home back in Richardson, TX, was like that, too. It’s as if the world was suddenly at peace after the intense hustle and bustle of summer – the constant going, going, going. You could curl up with a good book in front of a roaring fireplace, often times with a blanket of snow outside to really deaden all the outside noise, and the world would leave you alone. There was no more secure place in the world.

Winter in Eureka Springs, AR, is like that. And life is like that at the Bridgeford House. We have had guests that have gotten snowed in that have told us that it was one of the best vacations of their lives. (Of course, we can’t guarantee it will snow while you’re here, but the cold winter chill outside still keeps us cozy as kittens inside). A good bed and breakfast can provide you that home away from home – without the hard work and clean up! A good pampering can set anybody right and allow them the the rest and peace to go back and face the world.

We love doing that for you here. Several of our rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. All of them have a coffee pot and microwave right in your room, for hot tea, cocoa or popcorn – all provided for you at your complementary (yes, that means “free of charge”!) refreshment station (including a refrigerator) – right in your room! Home-baked sweets are provided for you each afternoon, so all you have to do is wait for it to be delivered! A hot, 4-course breakfast each morning will pretty much fill you up so that you don’t even need to go out for lunch if you don’t want to. Our parlor is full of games, puzzles and movies to play on your personal TVs in your room.

And don’t let anyone tell you Eureka closes up for the winter – there is always stuff open! Most of the shops stay open all winter long (with shorter hours), there are always restaurants and local pubs that are open, as well – what do you think we locals do in the wintertime? We still have to eat and we still like to get out and have a good time. Trust me, there are still lots of spas that will provide relaxing massages. If the trolleys aren’t running that particular day, you know we’re just a few minutes walk to downtown. And when the leaves are gone from our forest of trees – a whole new world opens up! Get out there and hike through our little mountains and neighborhoods that are right here in the historic district. You’ll see stuff you never see in the summertime.

And…Sophie is always here to cuddle.

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Believe it or not, 2012 is almost here! 2011′s been tough on a lot of folks, so 2012 needs to come in with a lot of optimism and good cheer. Come spend it with us at the Bridgeford House, our Arkansas bed and breakfast!

Celebrate New Year's in Eureka Springs!

We will be here to take care of you! On Saturday, New Year’s Eve, we’ll have hot hors d’oeuvres and wine available from 5 p.m to 8 p.m., while visiting with the innkeepers and other guests. We’ll provide hats and noise-makers for you to take to parties downtown. Breakfast Sunday morning will be set for 9:30, rather than 9:00, with Mimosas for those folks still celebrating the arrival of 2012. And we’ll extend checkout on Sunday until 12:00, rather than 11:00, so your first day of the new year won’t have to be a rush! What more could you ask for? A two-night minimum is required, so that you have plenty of time to celebrate the coming of the new year.

There is usually lots of parties going on in Eureka Springs, with the majority of them being walkable from our inn. There are usually parties at the Pied Piper, Chelsea’s, Eureka Live, Rowdy Beaver and I can’t imagine our newest venue, the Voulez-Vous Lounge, won’t be having something outrageous – they’re great fun! And there’s always a great 60-70s type party usually at the convention center, behind the Inn of the Ozarks. If you want something quieter, no problem, most restaurants will all be open for a nice dinner out.

So come have fun and let your worries go – toast in the New Year in Eureka Springs, AR!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Well, it’s only a couple weeks away from Christmas.

No doubt, that perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for relative, friend or co-worker still escapes you.

There has been a big push this year across America to buy “Made in the USA,” or possibly gift services that are performed locally like car repair, beauty care, massages, etc.

What could be more American than a getaway in the heart of the nation in Eureka Springs, Arkansas this coming year?

Why not consider giving the gift of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation:

A gift certificate for a stay at the 1884 Bridgeford House Bed and Breakfast!

You can purchase your gift certificate on our website online with a credit card, give us some custom instructions to include on the certificate, and we’ll snail mail or email your purchase to you or directly to the recipient. Or call us at the inn and we’ll take your order over the phone.

You can purchase a Bridgeford House gift certificate in any amount or purchase a stay in a particular room. You already know we’ll treat your special someone right at the inn, so it won’t be like the “lovely” sweater you got last year from Aunt Mabel.

It doesn’t get any easier or more thoughtful than that.

Here’s hoping you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!