Lorraine Bartlett - The Best From Swans Nest: A Lotus Bay Cookbook

The Best of Swans Nest

Copyright 2019 by Lorraine Bartlett. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the author.

Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

Publisher's Note: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

I love my international readers too, so I have converted oven temperatures to Celsius and Gas Mark to make things a bit easier. However, please note all recipes were tested in Fahrenheit.

Cover by Wicked Smart Designs

The Lotus Bay Mysteries

Panty Raid (A Tori Cannon-Kathy Grant mini mystery)

With Baited Breath

Christmas At Swans Nest

A Reel Catch

The Best From Swans Nest (A Lotus Bay Cookbook)

Created with Vellum

Kathy Grant, owner of the Swans Nest Inn on beautiful Lotus Bay, has collected more than a hundred and fifty mouth-watering recipes that she not only offers her B&B guests, but the brides who book their engagement and wedding parties at the inn.

Now you can enjoy the same treats like sweet sausage coffee ring, lots of marvelous muffins, cookies, quiche, stuffed mushrooms, and many, many more!

Cookbooks are incredibly difficult to proofread. Im grateful to my Lorraine Train crew. They made this a better book because of their eagle eyes. Thank you Linda Kuzminczuk, Pam Priest, Amy Connolley, and Taryn Lee.

Cover by Wicked Smart Designs

Let me introduce myself. Im Kathy Grant and I run an inn called Swans Nest on the south end of Lotus Bay, in Western New York. My first job was cleaning rooms and doing laundry at a small bed-and-breakfast called the Sport of Kings Inn in my hometown of Batavia, NY. That was my first taste of the hospitality industry and even at sixteen, I knew I wanted to one day open an inn of my own.

After high school, my goal was to learn as much as I could to make my dream come true. I enrolled at SUNY Brockport with the intent of earning a degree in hotel management. Along the way, I met Tori Cannon, who was my roommate for all four years of college (more on that in a minute). Upon graduation, I worked for several hotel chains in assistant manager positions, saving every penny I could with the intent of one day opening a B&B of my own. That is until I found a disheveled house on Lotus Bay. Thanks to the generosity of my grandparents, whod left me a legacy, and along with my savings, I was able to buy the property.

But first, let me tell you a little bit about Swans Nest Inn. I open my home to guests on a year-round basis and not only welcome guests to stay the night, but I host all manner of parties, from bridal to baby showers to anniversaries, and can accommodate weddings of up to sixty people.

Swans Nest is located at the southern tip of beautiful Lotus Bay in a home that was built in 1908. My contractor, Anissa Jackson, and I took a diamond in the rough and restored this venerable home back to its former glory.

Swans Nest Inn boasts three guest rooms with queen-sized beds, sumptuous linens, full bathrooms with soaker tubs, and is decorated to compliment the homes agebut with a contemporary twist. Our lower-level media room features a large sectional, 60-inch television, DVD/Blue Ray player, popcorn machine, wet bar, and an assortment of board games, as well as a vintage (and fully restored) billiards table. Our library contains contemporary fiction and non-fiction, as well as classic titles. On hot summer days, the covered porch that faces the bay is a shady haven to relax.

Nearby is Cannon Bait & Tackle, owned by my dear friend Tori Cannon. Its perfect for anglers who want to spend time on the bay. Rental boats are available, as are kayaks and canoes. Located next door to Swans Nest is The Bay Bar, for casual dining. Five miles to the north, Lotus Point overlooks Lake Ontario and boasts a number of restaurants, bars, churches, and, of course, the famous Lotus Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1912, where you can take a tour and learn more about the history of this quiet Western NY enclave.

I may be young, and certainly there are other innkeepers with more experience than me, but the recipes Ive shared in this book are tried and true. (Just ask my friends Tori and Anissa who taste-tested them all.)

BREAKFAST

Besides providing a peaceful home, breakfast is a big part of the guest experience. Breakfast can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Some of that depends on the weather and what fresh, local produce is available. When theres a chill in the air, most of my guests want a hot breakfast, and Ive accumulated a number of recipes that fill the bill. When its warmer, a muffin, hard-boiled eggs, coffee cake, and other lighter fare are welcomed. But always desired is for freshly made food presented in a pleasing fashion.

The Recipes

The recipes in this book are aimed primarily at American cooks, but Ive included oven temps for the UK, Australia, and other EU countries. There are many good websites that will convert cups to grams. My favorite (the most comprehensive Ive discovered) can be found here.

(( https://barrylewis.net/blog/cooking-conversion/ ))

Have Fun!

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is at Swans Nest and it gives my food a chance to shine and sends my guests on their day/way with a full belly and (hopefully) a happy heart. Whats offered on any given day depends on the season, the guests and their dietary needs, and sometimes just whatever strikes my fancy.

I offer a variety of hot and cold breakfast menus. This section features heartier breakfast choices that will give my guests a warm start on a cold morning. Since Swans Nest Inn is open during every season, guests can look forward to a variety of offerings.

Breakfast for Guests with Dietary Restrictions: When guests first book their reservations, I always ask if they have any dietary restrictions. With that in mind, I can offer a few dishes for guests who may be diabetic, gluten intolerant, vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, or eat kosher. Many of the recipes contained in this book can be adapted for special diets.

Gluten-Free Muffins

Ingredients

3 eggs at room temperature, beaten

cup buttermilk, at room temperature

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract