Recently, I began working part-time at the Eagle’s Nest Foundation in Pisgah Forest, and it has brought back so many positive memories of my camp experiences from the 1980’s.  The Eagle’s Nest Foundation operates Hante Adventures, The Outdoor Academy, and Eagle’s Nest Camp.

Hante Adventures run during the summer for 13-18 year olds. These adventure trips last anywhere from two weeks to a month and provide many of the skills experienced at camp, but in different ways. This year, there are four Hante trips: Outer Banks, Appalachian Trail (AT) Trek, Australia, and Southwestern US Canyons. Small groups trek through the wilderness while rock climbing, biking, and whitewater paddling while learning invaluable skills and making lifelong friends.  In the past, trips have gone all over the US and the world.

The Outdoor Academy of the Southern Appalachians is an academic semester-long program for 10th graders, set on the campus of the Eagle’s Nest Camp. There is a fall semester and a spring semester and students live on campus while enjoying and experiential education. The curriculum of the Outdoor Academy is considered a college prep program with small classes in English, Natural Science, World History, Math, Languages, and Arts.

Eagle’s Nest is set on 180 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains. That alone is enough incentive to send your kid(s) to get them off the couch or in front of the TV/video game console. The Eagle’s Nest Camp offers one-week, two-week, and three-week sessions to kids, ages 6-17. Camp is so much more than a babysitting service for parents. In fact, that’s not it at all.  I have learned that at this camp, kids come back year after year, many become Junior Counselors and Counselors. Parents also become counselors while their children attend camp and get to enjoy the “camp” experience as well.

Here are three more reasons to consider sending your kid(s) to Eagle’s Nest:

1. Adventure – Being in the mountains, Eagle’s Nest offers campers a nature setting to explore their environment and try new things. They will climb mountains, paddle down the French Broad River on a homemade raft, go rock climbing, and backpack on overnight camping trips.
2. Leadership – The purpose of this camp is to help young people discover their true selves through activities that promote community awareness and establish a connection with nature. Leadership skills are enhanced and developed when kids work towards common goals like building their own raft, building sets for their session play, and putting together an overnight camp during a hiking trip.
3. Education – The mission of Eagle’s Nest is “Experiential education for young people, promoting the natural world and the betterment of human character.” Activities are not mindless time fillers; they all serve an educational purpose while encouraging campers to live naturally, responsibly, and respectfully.

I ended this post with the Summer Camp, but in reality, it is just the beginning of Eagle’s Nest. The amount of loyalty towards Eagle’s Nest is impressive and kids go from summer camp to Hante Adventures to The Outdoor Academy, to possibly camp counselors/Academy Instructors, and on. Being a non-profit, Eagle’s Nest Foundation is overseen by a Board of Trustees, many of whom have sent their children to camp or had some association with the Foundation prior to becoming a Board member. There is a strong sense of family within this Foundation and if you are looking for something different in your kid’s summer camp, I encourage you to check out Eagle’s Nest. This is not just another summer camp; it rises above and offers so much more than the average camp experience. Your kid(s) will never forget their experiences here and the value of what they take away is worth so much more than money.

It was sunny and HOT both days, but the people at every farm were gracious and friendly. When we thought to ask how they thought the numbers compared to 2009, everyone indicated that more people were coming in 2010 so that is a positive sign that this event is growing. YAY!

On Saturday, we started off at Round Mountain Creamery in Black Mountain. I wanted to go to a goat farm since I fell in love with goat cheese after trying it and loving it on a trip to Ireland with my mom in 2009. We received a comprehensive and fun tour of the machinery and processes of this Grade A operation, including visiting with the goats. There are over 300 goats on the farm and there is a complex system of separating the goats based on age, health, milking output, gender, etc. We were allowed to get up close and personal with the baby goats and I decided that one day, I’d love to have a couple as pets (maybe pygmy goats – not the kind at this farm – since they are miniature goats). I was quite impressed with the cleanliness of this place, given the amount of barnyard animals, but I guess that’s why they are certified as Grade A and must be inspected regularly and maintain mountains of paperwork. At the end of the tour, we sampled at least 6 different flavors of goat cheese and I had my first taste of goat’s milk. I loved it all! Goat’s milk is not heavy like whole cow’s milk which I think is too thick (I drink 2%, 1% or skim). The goat’s milk is close to 2% and just right. At this point, we found out that Round Mountain has just started selling their cheeses in EarthFare which was very exciting for us since there is an EarthFare just a couple of miles from the Inn. I believe they also sell as one or more of the Asheville-area tailgate markets which is great for anyone not wanting to travel far to purchase some of their products.

The second stop of our journey was the Wake Robin Farm all the way up in Marshall (I probably picked one of the farms furthest from where we were coming from). But, I wanted to visit this farm since they make brick oven-baked breads, cinnamon rolls, granola, and gluten-free products. Plus, we thought that this would be a good place to eat since we had purchased goat cheese and milk and, other than crackers, what better companion to cheese, than bread? After driving through rural countryside and winding roads, we started down the gravel driveway towards the farm, but quickly realized that the driveway was long, winding and not conducive to a parade of cars driving in both directions. There was literally no place for cars to move over for oncoming traffic (the driveway was a good 1/2 mile long) so going in and coming out, we (or other cars) were forced to back up all the way out of the driveway to allow cars to get through. This difficulty made the getting in and out frustrating and somewhat ruined the experience.  My mother felt that this farm with its access issue should not be on the tour for the simple reason that it was quite difficult to get in and out and once in, there was very little parking room for cars and people could easily get blocked in.  However, the bread was delicious and they also sell their products at some of the Asheville-area tailgate markets.

After leaving Wake Robin Farm, we stayed in Marshall and headed to the Bee Tree Farm and Vineyard. By the time we got there, it was almost 5:30 (tours ended at 6:00) so we didn’t want to stay too long. There was no real tour of anything and my mother thinks the farm is more of a commune with a yurt and tipis. The farm does make fruit-flavored wines, tomato and pesto sauces (good on some of the bread we bought), and fruit preserves. Since I don’t drink wine, I wasn’t interested in buying any, but I did try some strawberry wine (too winey for me and I didn’t taste any fruit at all). We did buy some tomato sauce and saw berry bushes and the small vineyard on the way down the driveway toward the parking area.

So, on day one, we were able to visit only 3 farms. It probably could have been more had I planned better, but I had no idea how long it would take at each place. I definitely planned better for day two.

On Sunday, we chose farms that were closer in proximity to each other, and thus, we were able to see 3 farms in half the time it took on day one. We started out at Holler Ministries in Fletcher. I wanted to visit this farm because they offer egg/chicken shares for purchase. The farm is close to the Inn and I was excited to see that I could purchase a share of organic, grass-fed chicken eggs. A share is a dozen eggs a week and it’s possible to purchase chickens from the farm in the future if I decide to keep egg-laying chickens at the Inn. The Ministry also runs a summer Christian youth mission camp and they have an African-style village set up for the camp. This camp is training for service in Third World countries. Our tour provided us with a better understanding of how an African Village is set up. It really puts things into perspective for those of us in modernized countries. Holler Ministries also operates a community garden and they donate extras to local people in need. This particular farm was started in the 1930s by the current owner’s grandfather and we got to see a couple of buildings that his grandfather built by hand 80 years ago. It was nice to see this property still operating by the same family.

The following pictures show the African-style village on the farm.

After leaving Holler Ministries, we traveled to McConnell Farms in Hendersonville. This farm has just about everything you can think of from fruits and vegetables to nursery plants. It’s a huge operation and they sell to various Asheville-area tailgate markets as well as onsite at their own retail place. The memorable part of this farm is the fresh-made ice cream! Of course we had some and it was so delicious and creamy. I ate some blackberry chip ice cream and Mom had old-fashioned strawberry ice cream. Here, my mother was talking to the owner about fig trees since they grow them, but he actually referred her to another grower whose trees (Celeste) would probably do better where we live. At about this time, we could see a storm coming so we jumped in the car and headed to Stepp’s Plants.

Stepp’s Plants is located in Flat Rock and along with plants and flowers, they also grow fruits. There were no nursery plants available because they sell 80% annuals and their season is in the spring time. We went on a short tour of their crop fields where we could see raspberries just about ready to harvest and blueberry bushes. While here, it did start raining so it turned into a short visit. We did find out that they participate in Hendersonville’s Garden Jubilee in the spring which we have attended so we’ll be sure to check them out next year.

After leaving Stepp’s we headed over to Fields of Gold Farm in west Hendersonville, but they were closed. So, we decided to end our tour at this point and headed back home, stopping at my favorite sushi restaurant, Umi, in Hendersonville for a late lunch.

The one farm I did not get to visit was the Maple Creek Farm in Burnsville (about an hour from the Inn).  Maple Creek Farm is the only commercial maple syrup producer in NC. Hopefully, I can find some of their products at a tailgate market. There are several tailgate markets around Asheville, in addition to the WNC Farmers Market. The closest to the Inn is the Asheville City Market – South which is approximately 3 miles away. Some of the farmers on the Farm Tour probably sell their goods at this or any of the other dozen tailgate markets around the city and Buncombe county.

So, for $25, my mother and I spent some fun bonding time while exploring the mountains and farms of Western NC, learning about the bountiful foods, plants, and animals that contribute to the surrounding communities. I am thrilled to have been a part of the tour because I got so much more out of the experience than just the tour itself. To see what is going on around this part of the state makes me proud to live here and I plan to continue doing my part to help sustain the way of life provided by WNC farmers. So for anyone who wants to support the local farmers without driving all over the place, just visit one of the local farmers markets and “take the tour” there. You’ll be glad you did.

To learn more about WNC’s ASAP initiative, visit: www.asapconnections.org. Or, to find farms and take your own tours or for a listing of tailgate markets and hours, go to www.BuyAppalachian.org.

My weimaraner Hummer passed away last Friday and I wanted to share some photos and stories of him so that you can enjoy just a little of the happiness that Hummer brought into my life. Even as I write these words, my eyes tear up in remembrance of him. He truly meant a lot to me and I know that he will never be replaced in my heart.

I first decided to adopt a dog when I lived in Florida. My son and I already had two cats, but I wanted a companion and running partner. In Florida, I was a runner and participated in many charity running races from 5Ks to Half Marathons and even triathlons for a few years. Florida is perfect running territory because the roads are flat and there are sidewalks everywhere (at least in Central Florida where I lived). So I wanted a partner to keep me company when running that I didn’t actually have to talk to and waste energy while running. After several months of looking and considering different breeds, I settled on the Timucuan Weimaraner Club of Florida, a breed-specific rescue organization. Among the handful of rescues available for adoption was 6 month-old Hummer. The story was that Hummer was found on the side of the road somewhere in Georgia and had been with the rescue for a couple of months. I had to pass a screening process which included a home visit and had to sign a contract stating that if I was ever unable to care for Hummer, that he would be returned to the rescue. That is one fabulous thing, among many, with rescues. They are dedicated to their animals and will take them back no matter what. Also included in our adoption were a beginning series of obedience training sessions at Best Paw Forward.

We first met Hummer at Best Paw Forward where we filled out all the paperwork, then took him for his first training session. At six months old, he weighed just under 50 lbs.

At first, Brian (almost 10 years old) was bigger than Hummer, but before long, Hummer gained a lot of weight and Brian found it more difficult to handle him. Unfortunately, our female cat, Baby Girl, didn’t like Hummer and so he intentionally bothered her because he knew she didn’t like him. He’d stare at her or poke at her with his nose to get a rise out of her, just because he could. He never growled, bit, or ran after her, just intimidated her with his intense stares and lunges. He didn’t bother with our male cat, Whiskers, because Whiskers didn’t seem to care about Hummer’s size and didn’t allow him to bother him. Therefore, Hummer left him alone. It was quite funny at times to watch Hummer pestering Baby Girl and making her meow and run away. Then he’d look at me as if to say,”What? I didn’t do anything.”

By the age of 2, Hummer was up to 93 lbs which was the average weight he carried. He turned out to be a great running companion and would run between 3-5 miles with me. For a weimaraner, he tended to be on the stocky side, even though we ran together quite a bit. At his heaviest, he weighed a little over 100 lbs, but tended to maintain an average between 90-95 lbs. He went most places with us, including a pet-friendly B&B on Amelia Island for my 34th birthday, to the beaches on the gulf coast of Florida when I visited my mother near Casey Key, and a couple of times to Va when we drove up to visit family.

Hummer was always attention- and food-hungry. He preferred to be wherever his “people” were and would only stay outside by himself long enough to do his business, then he wanted to be inside with us. We learned very quickly that Hummer was quite intelligent when it came to scoping out anything food-related. The cat food had to be kept in the furthest corner of the counter and trash cans had to be kept behind cabinets. Any slip up on our parts, no matter how old he got, and the result was a torn up trash bag or overturned trash can with trash spread around. Even after moving to NC in 2006, Hummer figured out how to open the corner carousel cabinet where we kept the dry foods so we had to start putting his food bin in front of it so he couldn’t push the cabinet open. I could never get too mad at Hummer for these hijinxs because it was more like a battle of brains to see who won.

In December 2005, a few weeks before we moved to NC and the Inn, Hummer and I were out running and were a block from our house when Hummer was viciously attacked by a K-9 police German Shepherd. The dog had escaped from its garage and, we learned, was male dog aggressive. Because we were on a public road and many people were driving to work or school, a couple of good Samaritans stopped to help us. Hummer’s back and shoulder were ripped open and he needed 17 staples to close the wounds and a drain tube for 4 days to keep the infection out and to allow the wounds to drain. The police department paid for all of his veterinary bills and Hummer never seemed to be afraid or affected by dogs afterward. I, on the other hand, became very nervous when out with Hummer. Not for my safety, but for his. I never wanted him to be attacked again so I started carrying a taser with me.  Once we moved to NC, Hummer and I ran outside for a short while, but I began to run at the YMCA on the treadmill.

For a couple of years, Hummer attended doggie day care at At Play With Sparky so that he could exercise and interact with other dogs. But as he started getting older, his tolerance of other dogs jumping all over him waned and he’d end up in timeout because he’d snap at the other dogs. I’d hold my head in shame on those occasions I had to pick him up whenever I’d receive a naughty boy report. So, I stopped taking Hummer to daycare and we officially said that he was “retired.” He seemed to enjoy spending most of his time on the couch anyway and he would get daily walks around Jake Rusher Park next to the Inn. He always loved riding in the car whenever possible and had the entire back area of the 4Runner to himself, even after we adopted Jenny in fall 2008 and Squirt in spring 2009.

By the time we added the two small dogs to our menagerie, Hummer was well into retirement and pretty much ignored them, unless one annoyed him and then he’d put him/her in their place. After a good set down, the little dogs stayed out of his way.

In the last year or so of his life, Hummer definitely became somewhat cantankerous when it came to other animals and small kids. He snapped a couple of times and I knew that he would be happier staying home when we went on trips or when there was a lot of activity going on at the Inn. I smile as I remember his progression from young child, to mischievous teenager, to crotchety old man. There were definitely character changes along the way that demonstrated his aging. But through it all; every late night sprint for the outside after he’d eaten an entire package of cheese crackers, plastic wrappers and all, to expunge the plastic from his system, to his laziness in not wanting to go downstairs to bark at visitors he could see, but instead laying on the couch barking, not knowing what he’s barking at; Hummer was always happy to see me and Brian. I nicknamed him Mr. Wiggle Tail because his stump was always going, even if I just looked at him, it wiggled.

In the end, I knew it was time when I couldn’t get that tail to wag, not matter that I hugged Hummer tight and stared at it, willing it to move. He just did not have the strength to show me that he loved me, but I knew. And I was there when he took his last breath and it was a comfort to me to know that he went in peace and without pain and that he knew that I loved him, and still do.

Thank you Hummer for being like a child to me and for bringing me so much love and joy. You will never be forgotten.

This past week, I turned the big 4-0 and Asheville turned out to be the perfect place to celebrate it in style.

A few of my Twitter friends organized a pub crawl since I love beer and Asheville is Beer City USA 2010! Gary (@AskAsheville), Amanda (@AVLCustomCloset), Maria (@SalonBlueRidge), and John (Maria’s boyfriend) met at Barley’s Tap Room (@BarleysTapPizza) where we sampled some of the 50+ craft beers on tap, along with some pizza. Barley’s has 2 floors; the first floor is the main restaurant area and the second floor is where the pool tables are (no food served upstairs). It’s a big place and stayed crowded the entire time we were there, which was a couple of hours.

On the way to our second stop, we passed Pritchard Park and enjoyed a little of the Friday night drum circle. The Park was packed and the drumming was very entertaining. By then, it was dark and we could see the police circling. I guess they allow the drum circle until a certain time, but there were many under-age kids around and want to avoid anything inappropriate. I must say that I have never spent any time downtown at night and was quite amazed at how crowded the city was. Everyone, local and tourist, was out in force, enjoying the street entertainment and balmy weather.

The second stop on our crawl was Thirsty Monk’s Pub (@monkpub). Here, we tried something called a Flight, which had 4 sample size beers from light to dark. I tried the Highland Cattail Peak Wheat (light) and the Green Man IPA (medium) with a citrusy taste. I was actually surprised that I liked the medium beer because I usually don’t. We also met up with a couple of other Asheville Tweeters, John (@SimplyWired) and his friend (no Twitter handle that I know of).

Next, we headed over to Athena’s which was a small club. Definitely not a pub, but I did drink a bottle of Highland Gaelic Ale. There was a little dancing. I got a good chuckle. While dancing with Amanda and Maria, a man came up to our group and gave me a very back-handed compliment. He said that although I was the oldest of our group, I had some good moves. Years ago, I might have been offended, but I actually laughed. I appreciated that he thought I danced the best of the three, for an old lady.

Our last stop on the tour was Tressa’s Downtown Jazz and Blues Club. There was live music, but not a lot of people there. I had a beer, I can’t remember what kind. Everyone else started doing shots of Patron (tequila), but that’s not my thing. For one, I hate tequila. Second, I wouldn’t mix beer and liquor. The consequences are not good. One interesting thing about this bar was the huge jar of condoms outside the bathroom for patrons to take with them. I had never seen anything like that before, but thought, nice idea. Safety is good.

By the time we finished at Tressa’s, it was 1:30 am and I needed to get home and sleep before getting up to cook breakfast for guests at the Inn on Saturday morning. On the way home, I stopped at Ingles (@Ingles) for some strawberries and blueberries. I was home and in bed by 2:00 am, a time I haven’t seen in a long time.

This birthday celebration was fun for several reasons: 1) I haven’t been out in a couple of years or on a pub crawl in about 15 years! 2) I met some really nice people through Twitter, and 3) while I was on the crawl, we were all FourSquaring our locations which post to my Facebook Page and family and friends around the country were commenting while we were crawling.

I am solidly in favor of the social media movement. It has allowed me to connect and re-connect with family, friends, and people from my past through Facebook. And, I have been meeting new business contacts and friends locally through Twitter and FourSquare. The sharing and exchange of information via text messages, photos, videos, and blogs has opened up a whole new world to me. If not for Twitter, I would not have enjoyed such an interesting birthday celebration. If anyone is thinking about jumping on the social media bandwagon or has resisted joining, I highly recommend that you reconsider. It’s a great way to connect with the big world out there. Maybe your next celebration will be different and unexpected.

Dates: June 4-5, 2010

Where: 1847 Blake House Inn Bed & Breakfast,150 Royal Pines Drive, Asheville (Arden), NC, http://www.blakehouse.com/

Tickets are still available!

Davin McCoy & The Coming Attractions are honored to be able to play two days at this festival which is going to be great fun and proceeds from this event go to eliminate Spinal Muscular Atrophy, the #1 genetic cause of death in children under the age of 2. Fight SMA with food and while sampling Asheville’s best beers and listening to GREAT live music!

The event is hosted by Chef Angela McKeller who has been featured on The Food Network and is a great supporter of the band. This event supports Angela’s favorite charity: The Hope and Light Foundation.

If you are looking for a culinary event to spice up your summer then put June 4-5, 2010 on your calender. The “Kick Back and Kook: Feasting with Brew” event is taking over The 1847 Blake House Inn! Angela McKeller teams up with local micro-breweries in Asheville (rated BEST in the country for microbrews!) and offers an exploration of taste featuring seasonal, local ingredients and evening cooking classes as separate events (details below), including an Iron Chef Competition with prizes!

Don’t miss it! Best “Kooking”, Jamming, Brewing event of the summer! For weekend packages that include accommodations, please contact the Innkeeper, Leslie Kimball, at 888.353.5227 or 828.681.5227, http://www.blakehouse.com/. Want to add an extra night or two so you can explore Asheville, the Biltmore, the breweries? Come a day early, stay a day after and you’ll get a 10% discount off the nightly rate for the extra night(s).

To buy tickets (which will sell out fast!) go to http://www.kickbackkook.com/store.php.

Events:

Friday, June 4, 2010:
Beer and Truffles
2:30 – 4:30pm
$29 per person, or attend both Fri & Sat Afternoon classes for the just $47! Limited tickets available, buy tickets in advance to guarantee your spot!

Think beer and chocolate don’t go together? One of Asheville’s most popular microbreweries will come by and explain the ins and outs of brewing, the difference between one brew and another and give a presentation on how to pair beer with chocolate! Angela McKeller of “Kick Back and Kook!” will be offering her recipes for three types of Chocolate Truffles you can make at home, but taste them now, taste the chocolate and beer together yourself to see just how compatible these flavors really are! Think it’s never been done before? Think again! Also, live music by Davin McCoy and The Coming Attractions will make this an afternoon to remember!

Soufflés Made Simple
6:00pm – 9:00pm
$45 per person. Reserve your spot early, limited to just 25 students!

Angela McKeller will take you further down the culinary path, deep into the heart of Paris. Or at least you’ll feel like that is where you are! French for “puff up”, Angela will demonstrate just how easy these seemingly difficult, but impressive dishes are for dinner and dessert! On the menu: Shrimp Soufflé with Creamy Dill Sauce; Spinach and Ricotta Soufflé and Dark Chocolate Soufflé. Bring out your inner Julia Child, get ready for Summer and say “Bon appétit!”

Saturday, June 5, 2010
Simple Summer Desserts Sampling and Brew Tasting
1pm – 3pm
$29 per person, or attend both Fri & Sat Afternoon classes for the just $47! Limited tickets available, buy tickets in advance to guarantee your spot.

Angela McKeller will offer samples of the most delicious summer dessert recipes she’s developed and encountered during her culinary career. On the menu: Chef Mike Carrino’s Cherry and Apple Tart to Angela’s own Flambéd Brandied Peaches to Chef Jerry Solomon’s Zabayon, a simple but delicious Italian custard served with mixed berries, you’ll experience it all! And yes, these all go great with your favorite beer! While this is a sampling of desserts and beers, it is also an opportunity to get to know Chef Angela McKeller, ask her as many questions as you can think of about these delicious desserts and become acquainted with one of Asheville’s best microbreweries and their brews!  Again, live music by Davin McCoy and The Coming Attractions will make this afternoon experience even more amazing.

Iron Chef Competition!
6:30pm -9:30 pm
$65 per person.  Reserve your spot early, limited to just 25 students!

Who will win? The Salad Spinners or the Wire Wisks?! “Kooky” prizes to the winners!

Paired off into two groups, munching on some of Angela’s most popular dips while you “kook”, two teams will go head to head, competing to see who can create the best meal of the evening! Who judges? You do!

Everyone is given a score card to fill out without anyone else seeing. On a scale of 1-5, you try each others dishes and rate them, putting the score cards in a bowl for Angela to tally the scores while you finish dessert. The winning team gets a prize as “kooky” as Angela is!

On the menu:

Team 1:

* Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs in a Red Wine and Balsamic Reduction
* Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli in a Mushroom Cream Sauce
* Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

Team 2:

* Baked Brie en Croute with Caramelized Walnuts
* Chicken Provençale
* Crepes with Strawberries and Rich Chocolate Sauce

With Asheville as the backdrop, who could ask for anything more? Beautiful scenery, delicious food, fun, kooky cooking classes, beer tastings, live music, the Biltmore Estate just around the corner and some of the best microbreweries around.

While my son was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 17, Patricia’s blog offers very practical tips and menu options for anyone who is at risk for Type II Diabetes. – Leslie

Diabetes type 2 is easily the most common form of diabetes. An incredible number of Americans seem to have been told they have diabetes type 2 symptoms, and more are unconscious they’re at high risk. Some groups have a relatively higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others.  Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Indigenous Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, in addition to the aged population.

In diabetes type 2, either your body will not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary to the body to be able to use glucose for energy. After you eat food, the entire body breaks down the sugars and starches into glucose; that’s the basic fuel for any cells in your body. Insulin takes the sugar from your blood to the cells. When glucose builds up inside blood rather then going into cells, it can lead to diabetes complications.

Each person has the capability to improve and protect their present health. With proper nutrition and physical exercise and also making good lifestyle choices (like not smoking), you could feel better, stronger, and healthier, and can lower your risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart problems and cerebrovascular accident.

What exactly is Healthy Weight?

There’s a simple way to discover if your current weight puts you in danger of developing serious diseases. Visit www.diabetes.org/bmi and consider the Body Mass Index (BMI) test. The results will help you decide if you need to stress about your weight.

The Better You Eat, The Better You are

Below are a few basic guidelines that can help you and your family make healthier food decisions:

• Eat numerous fruit and veggies.
• Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products.
• Try brown rice instead of white. Substitute whole wheat grains bread for white.
• Eat fish 2 – 3 times per week.
• Select leaner cuts of meat like those that end in “loin.”
• Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
• Eat low fat dairy
• Drink water and calorie-free non-carbonated beverages.
• Use liquid oils for cooking as an alternative to solid fats.
• Cut back on junk food like chips, cookies, cakes, and regular ice cream.
• Find baked chips and reduced calorie snacks. Or have a bit of fruit instead.
• Watch your serving sizes. Even too much “healthy” food could potentially cause weight gain.

Tips:

• Compare labels of similar foods, then opt for the one with smaller amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
• Adults should consume lower than 2400 mg. of sodium daily. In case you have hypertension, it is best to prefer even less.
• Try adding spices and herbs in your own cooking to take the place of salt for enhancing flavor.

A little bit of training goes a long way

Anything that gets you up and moving will work for you. Here’s what it can do:

• Reduce your risk of developing diabetes type 2 symptoms
• Reduce your risk of coronary disease and stroke
• Lower hypertension and cholesterol
• Reduce blood glucose (sugar) levels if you have diabetes, which can lessen your risk of developing diabetes-related complications
• Decrease anxiety
• Help you to lose fat
• Provide you with more energy
• Allow you to sleep better
• Build stronger bones and muscles

You do not need to go to a gym, play sports or use fancy equipment. Certainly, it’s best to discuss with a medical expert before starting any exercise regimen.

If you have Diabetes

Maintaining a healthy diet and staying active are much more important in case you have diabetes. Well-balanced meals can help keep your glucose (sugar) level as near to normal as it can be. Being active likewise helps you reduce blood glucose. In case you increase your level of physical activity, you might be able to take less insulin or diabetes pills. In case you are inactive, have heart disease or maybe a history of foot ulcers, consult your doctor about safe exercise for you.

Check your blood glucose before exercising. If it’s under 100 mg/dl, eat some fruit, crackers or drink glass of milk or juice.

Check it again after exercising to understand how your blood glucose reacts to workout. Bring a snack if you’ll be active for a couple of hours.

About the writer

Patricia Harris writes for the http://www.diabeticmenus.org, her personal hobby web site aimed at guidelines to eat healthy to prevent and manage diabetes.

• The Beer City Brewfest is ONLY on Saturday, June 5th while our event is on Friday AND Saturday. So people can attend both!
• The Beer City Brewfest is a beer-focused event. Our event is primarily a culinary event with beer pairings. The focus of Feasting With Brew is not on the Brew; it’s on the FOOD with the BREW!
• The Beer City Brewfest is not pet-friendly, but we are!!!
• Ticket prices for the Brewfest are $35/each; our ticket prices are only $29 for each day, with cooking classes offered Friday & Saturday nights for $45 & $65 each respectively.
• Feasting With Brew is a FUNDRAISER! All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Hope & Light Foundation (information below). Eat, drink & mingle while supporting a great cause!
• Feasting With Brew will include raffles and silent auction items including a FREE night stay at the Inn, the cookbook: Passion on a Plate and apron from Chef Angela McKeller, items donated by local Asheville shops, plus other local arts & craft items. This event is about so much more than beer.

Of course I have a bias for the Feasting With Brew events, but I am in no way dissing the Beer City Brewfest. The timing of our events still allows people to attend both!  Following are the full details of our Kick Back & Kook Culinary Event: Feasting With Brew:

• Dates & Times: Friday, June 4 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm & Saturday, June 5 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Culinary Themes: Friday – Beer & Truffles & Saturday – Simple Summer Desserts Sampling & Brew Tasting
• Additional Cooking Classes: Friday evening (6-9 pm): Souffles Made Simple ($45) & Saturday evening (6:30 – 9:30 pm): Iron Chef Competition ($65)
• Participating Brewery: Pisgah Brewing Company – they brew handcrafted certified organic beer
  
• Music: Davin McCoy & The Coming Attractions
• Charity this event supports: The Hope & Light Foundation

Tickets can be purchased HERE as well as on the day of the event at the Inn. There is a DISCOUNT if you buy tickets for Friday & Saturday! If there are any Asheville businesses that would like to sell tickets, please contact Angela McKeller. Ticket sellers can make a little $ for each ticket you sell!

Book a room at the Inn for the weekend (at least 2 nights) and receive a 10% discount off the ticket price of ANY event you attend! Plus, the FIRST room reservation for that weekend will receive a FREE 1847 Blake House Inn B&B soup mug. The mugs just arrived this week!

Hope to see you there!

As such, Asheville is a great location for people to travel to to get married. This city and the surrounding area offer so much for the wedding guest and traveler. Some of the backdrops for weddings include hills and mountains, rivers and waterfalls, historical houses and loads of interesting architecture, gardens, barns, and even hot air balloons!

While Asheville has event locations that can accommodate hundreds and hundreds of guests with costs in the tens of thousands of dollars, this city is more receptive to smaller destination weddings with budget-conscious brides and grooms. We run the gamut of wedding/reception locations from small, quaint churches and B&Bs to large conference centers and, of course, the Biltmore Estate. What this city does not have, and probably never will, is the drive-through chapels you see in Las Vegas, although I get calls at the Inn from people looking to do the quickie ceremony. What people need to understand is that we are a destination wedding location, but we do not offer the cheap, cliche-type ceremonies you find elsewhere.

At Blake House, we can accommodate weddings up to 150 guests, but the average size that I see here is under 60. I have seen a trend in the past four years from larger groups to smaller groups, of just the closest family and friends. People would rather spend their money on a down payment for a house, than for a huge wedding attended by people they don’t know.  This bed and breakfast offers an alternative to the typical hotel banquet hall or conference space at a reasonable price. And Asheville is filled with wedding locations just like mine.

This past weekend, the Inn welcomed the Riddle/Robbins wedding party for a BEAUTIFUL wedding for just under 50 guests. I am posting several photos below (with permission from the bride and groom, of course). I was most impressed with the Mother of the Bride (MOB) and her incredible organizational skills. In no way was she overbearing or uncontrollable (we don’t see those kinds of guests here just by virtue of the types of people we attract at the Inn). Sharon should become an event/wedding planner because her attention to detail is just fabulous.  The colors chosen by the bride and groom were white, black, and lime green. The flowers included purple as well and I thank the MOB for generously donating the flowers to the Inn for our guests to enjoy this week.

The weather called for thunderstorms, wind, and low temperatures. We only experienced one of the three, wind and that was only in spurts. We did not have any rain and the low temperatures only went down to the 40s at night. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the wedding ceremony, held at 3:00 pm.  The Rehearsal Dinner on Friday was catered by Luella’s Bar-B-Que and Colorful Palate catered the Wedding Reception on Saturday. The guests and I were impressed and happy with both, me with the professionalism of the staff and the wedding party with the quality of the food! Jeanne from Appearances Salon & Spa provided onsite makeup and hair services to the bride. The delicious carrot wedding cake was provided by Tiffany’s Baking Co. and the acoustic trio Strictly Clean and Decent played some fabulous bluegrass and folk music when the bride’s daughter walked her down the aisle as well as during the reception.

Please enjoy my amateur photos and let me know if you have questions. I am happy to discuss your wedding or other special event needs.

Someone has a bad experience or just a bad day and they can ruin a business’s reputation. Or at least make it difficult to overcome. I have received my share of good AND bad reviews. After the initial upset caused, I have been able to take a step back and really look at what the reviewer is saying. In some cases, their issues were totally valid and I have sought to remedy problems. Things like an a/c unit that is not working properly or someone not wanting to share table space with other guests or not liking something I cook are easy enough to fix. Personality conflicts and not liking my style of running the Inn are not so easy to change, but I try my best. As a result, I have definitely seen a change over the past several years in the number of unhappy guests versus happy guests. It’s not that I received a large number of bad reviews, but when you receive one or two a year, it leaves an impression.  The ultimate goal as an innkeeper is to offer a welcoming house for guests and to enhance their lodging experience with a genuinely pleasant and accommodating attitude.

I think I have come a long way from the first 2 years of B&B ownership and a background in Human Resources where policies are policies and you don’t break them and where everything has its place and any deviation caused stress. Taking the review comments from unhappy guests and comments from the happy ones too, I feel so much better now that I listen more and don’t get so worried about the small stuff. If a guest breaks something, I don’t break out into hives anymore; it’s no big deal. It can be replaced. I have gotten rid of some of the fees that I used to charge for things like early check-ins and large group cleaning gratuities. Let the airlines and hotel chains nickel and dime their customers with lots of extra fees.

Many of the changes I have made over the years have come as a result of positive feedback rather than negative feedback. When someone criticizes your way of doing things, it’s easy to ignore their comments or become so defensive that you can’t hear what is being said. But when you have a conversation with a happy guest and they ask if you can change something about your Inn, their room, their breakfast or its operation, it is so much easier to take their words to heart, because you know they are coming from a place of caring about you and your business and because they plan to come back!

My suggestion to anyone getting ready to rip into a business via an anonymous review would be to try speaking to the owner, innkeeper, or manager first. You may find that a few kind words go further than a scathing post on everything you hated about your experience or the product. If that doesn’t work (sometimes a request is out of the control of even the person in charge), then a post with objective information and suggestions for improvement will still probably go further than nothing but negative comments. Even humor goes a long way.

I wanted to share a couple of cards from guests I received recently. How many people sit down and spend a few minutes writing a card to another person, a business? And to receive two cards, one in March & one in April, was so touching that I felt the need to share with my readers and guests how much I appreciate them once they leave the Inn. This is the reason why people looking for a personal experience should consider staying at a B&B versus a hotel. We WANT to establish relationships with our guests.

The first card was sent just before Easter from guests who have been to the Inn 4-5 times over the past couple of years. I had not seen them since the fall so to receive an Easter card was thrilling. The guests wrote: “Thanks so much for remembering us with a gift certificate! That was so thoughtful of you and sweet! Spring has finally come to Indiana; February was our cold, snowy month. We just love you and Blake House and are looking forward to coming down to Asheville again in 2010.”

The second card was sent mid-April from a guest who had stayed here a couple of years ago and had come back to visit family in the area. She wrote, “Dear Leslie, Thanks for launching me into Spring 2010 in royal style.  Loved my stay at your beautiful inn. I’ve tormented many with tales of your fabulous breakfasts. (The only attempt I’ve made at imitating was the baked grapefruit.) A success! Best regards. P.S. I’ll be back!”

As an innkeeper, I meet a lot of people; some are just passing through Asheville for one night and some stay for several days. My hope is that everyone enjoys their stay, no matter the amount of time. But if you don’t, you can talk to me and I will listen. If you do, I thank you most ardently for any kind words you say or write, whether you choose to share them with others via online review sites, or if you only share them with me in a sweet card or email.

I love Asheville! I love this Inn! And I love everyone who shares part of their life with me and this old house.

• Audio Guide to the Biltmore House: $10 – I advise my guests that if they have never been to Biltmore, this self-guided audio tour is worth the price as they will receive so much more information about the house, family and history than what they get from the brochure alone.
• Behind-the-Scenes Tour: $17
• Family & Friends Tour: $17
• Rooftop Tour: $17
• Guided House Tour: $17
• Legacy of the Land: $19
• Antler Hill Farm Guided Tour: $10
• Red Wine & Chocolate Specialty Wine Experience: contact Guest Services for pricing information
• Signature Tasting Specialty Wine Experience: contact Guest Services for pricing information
• Bike Rentals: $10/1 hour; $30/4 hours – daily trail passes are $5 without bike rentals
• Carriage Rides: $35
• Fly-fishing School: $125/2-hour lesson; equipment and materials provided
• Guided Segway Tours: $75
• Guided Horseback Trail Rides: $70/adults; $60/children (8-17)
• Land Rover Experience Driving School: starting at $250 per vehicle for 1-6 hour adventures
• Land Rover Ride-Along Expedition: $25
• Kids’ Land Rover Adventure Course: $55 (ages 4-10)
• River Float Trips: $35/guided raft trips; $25/self-guided kayak trips
• Sporting Clays School: $175

For any of the experiences listed above, you will need to contact Guest Services in order to make reservations and to check for pricing as it may change from time to time: 800.543.2961. Not all Experiences are available year-round, so a quick call or a visit to the website can provide the dates for whatever you want to enjoy.