Thomas Shepherd Inn

Saving the Lot 12 Cabin - the Beginning 19 May 2013, 2:21 pm

 We will go before the Planning Commission on Monday evening to obtain permission to demolish the garage - the outside is pictured here.  As you can see, it is not a historic structure - cobbled together with vinyl siding on plywood, and extending what must have been a garden shed or carport at one time.  Unfortunately the original shed has dry rot and deterioration from exposure to the elements and lack of maintenance, so it is unlikely we will be able to reuse much of it.
 The last picture is of a few pieces of costume jewelry and buttons that were found on the porch. We think  the buttons may be pictures of the previous owner of the house, Arthur "Sonny" Prather, but we will ask a local historian to verify that if possible.

Onward and upward!

Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Saving the Lot 12 Cabin - Prologue 29 Apr 2013, 2:28 pm

Guests of the Inn, friends and family and our business colleagues around Shepherdstown know that we have struggled with the condition of the property next door to the Inn since buying our B&B over ten years ago.  We have appealed to the planning commission and town government, the county health department, and finally consulted attorneys after the hoarding conditions resulted in a dreadful fire at the house - still occupied by Dr. Carl Bell, a professor at Shepherd University - and it remained in its current, uninhabitable condition through the winter and spring months. 


The professor finally decided to list the property 'as is' for sale a few weeks ago, and we immediately made an offer that was accepted, and we closed on the property today.  We are in possession of an extremely-distressed house and property full of stuff, which we will begin cleaning and clearing as soon as we get the required approval from the planning commission to take down the garage that severely limits access to the house.   You can see the outside pictures - what most of our guests have seen this year - above and to the right.  Pictured below is the inside of the back of the house, which we saw for the first time today.

It's a daunting task that we've taken on, and I hope to chronicle our progress in this blog.  I plan to do some research on the property as well - we know that the original log house from Lot 12 is underneath the brick facade, so our hope is that we will be able to salvage and restore at least some portion of it.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and that it isn't an oncoming train!


Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Working in the garden... 20 Apr 2013, 6:31 am

We're doing work in the garden - straightening the rock borders, clearing weeds, adding mulch - but we're careful not to disturb these beauties in the process!

Spring has finally arrived here in Shepherdstown.  GardenFest weekend, with the annual Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea will be here May 18 and 19.   We think this is one of the loveliest times of year in the area, although fall often gets better press. You should visit and decide for yourself.

Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Post-St. Patrick's Day Sliders (and a Drink for next year)! 18 Mar 2013, 8:01 am

We actually made these little sammies on St. Patrick's Day, but what an excellent use for your leftover corned beef!  We were hosting a group of dedicated theater professionals arriving late on the train and we wanted to make sure they had a little Irish before midnight. Peggy brought a green drink recipe that we adapted, and I put together some noshes that included soda bread, Irish potatoes, and a little protein in the form of the corned beef sliders, using the party-size potato rolls (24 to a bag) from Martin's as our base.  A thick slab of corned beef, 1/2 of a kosher dill burger slice, and a schmear of brown deli mustard completed the snacks.

Our Green-lini was another triumph - we skinned a couple of kiwis and tossed them in a blender, added the juice of four limes, one peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple and about 1/2 cup of pear nectar to the mix and blended it to a lightly-green tinted liquid and stashed it in the fridge.  After rimming some stemless champagne flutes with green sugar, we poured in a bit of juice, a bit of vodka, and topped it off with sparkling wine for a Green-lini toast to St. Patrick's Day and a successful reading of Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah the next day!


Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Easy Healthy Vegan Cookies 3 Mar 2013, 6:58 am

 Apparently two-ingredient recipes are all the rage right now - I missed it, but the interwebz say so, so it must be true, right? I didn't know about it until this recipe from Lauren at The Burlap Bag was posted on an innkeeper's forum, but I jumped right in to try them out because they fulfill all of my special diet needs - vegan, no dairy and can be made no gluten.  Hooray! As a bonus, I had a big bunch of bananas moving into the too ripe category.
The two main ingredients are bananas and oats.  I'm going to go out on a limb, with apologies to Lauren, and say that you should never make them with only bananas and oats. They would be bland and too banana-y.  Even Lauren's recipe has some mix-ins.  I used dried cranberries and 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  Here's the base recipe:

2 large ripe bananas (the riper, the better)
1 cup quick oats (can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats)

Mash the bananas and mix in the oats, plus other mix-ins. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Makes a baker's dozen.

I threw in a handful of dried cranberries and the aforementioned cinnamon. I would consider upping the cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp. for the next batch.

These taste like bananas and chewy oats - no surprise there. If you don't like your cookies with either ingredient, this recipe is not for you.  I was pretty happy with them.  Chocolate chips would also be good, and another online recipe from Urban Nester added some peanut butter, which I think might be a good choice, especially with chocolate chips. 

I want to work this week on perfecting a recipe for vegan coconut macaroons, as I am participating in a special diets panel for innkeepers at the Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers Conference soon.  In the meantime, if you have a favorite two-ingredient (or few-ingredient) recipe, I would love to see it, so please share in the comments!

Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Shopping in Shepherdstown for Valentine's Day 8 Feb 2013, 4:00 pm

Please check out our blog post featuring local shops and restaurants and their Valentine goodies so you can buy that perfect present that shows your true affection.  You still have this weekend to Shop Shepherdstown before the Thursday holiday. Here is a summary of the posts, with links to the originals.

Plum - Custom Jewelry & Gifts
D'Accord Boutique - Gifts from France
Lotus - Spa
Village Florist - Flowers
Dickinson & Wait Craft Gallery - American-made Crafts & Gifts
Blue River - Clothing & Gifts
The Press Room - Dining
Bistro 112 - Dining
Shepherdstown Opera House - Entertainment
German Street Coffee & Candlery - Chocolate & Gifts
Steppin' Out Shoes - Shoes & Gifts
Four Seasons Books - Books & Cards
On the Wings of Dreams - Gifts & Jewelry
Shepherdstown Sweet Shop & Bakery - Sweets & Treats

We hope you will remember the shops of Shepherdstown for your gifting needs, whether it's Valentine's Day, Christmas, or a special occasion in between. The Inn still has some availability for Thursday night, Friday night and Sunday night, if you'd like to stay over!

Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Pork and Sauerkraut for New Year's Day 1 Jan 2013, 5:47 am

South of the Mason-Dixon Line the dish to eat for good luck on New Year's Day is usually Hoppin' John, or some version of dish containing black-eyed peas, which resemble coins (?!?). But I was born and raised in central PA, smack in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch country, where the go-to meal on New Year's Day is pork and sauerkraut. So, I'm hedging my bets this year - I'll have black-eyed peas with ham on the buffet for breakfast tomorrow but I have some pork and sauerkraut ready for lunch. My favorite recipe for sauerkraut comes from the master, Julia Child - with one adaptation.  Julia calls for 3 cups of thinly sliced onions, and I don't care so much for onions, so I only use one cup.  Here is my version:

• 2 pounds sauerkraut
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Rinse the sauerkraut and squeeze it with your hands to fluff it up and remove excess liquid.  I like my sauerkraut a little sour, so I don't soak it or rinse it excessively.

Spray a heavy 5-quart saucepan with a little non-stick spray and start with the wine.  Add the onions and bring them to a simmer, cooking for 10 minutes or so until the onions are tender.  Add the sauerkraut, broth, caraway seeds, thyme, bay leaves, and some salt and pepper. Fold together to combine Bring the mixture back to a simmer, cover the pan, and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover the pan and continue simmering until the liquid has reduced to almost nothing. Correct seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve hot.

This sauerkraut can go into the oven with your favorite pork products - seared chops, a few sausages, ham.  I made mine this year with two pork chops, some ham and sausages, with bacon bits scattered on top.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season! 19 Dec 2012, 5:38 am

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, whether it's a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, merry Winter Solstice, or happy Festivus.  Enjoy your family and your friends, good food and cheer, and we'll  see you in the New Year!






Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

New Year's Eve, 2012 5 Dec 2012, 12:28 pm

 Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Holidays in Shepherdstown 25 Nov 2012, 9:31 am

I have begun the Christmas decorating for 2012; my mantra is 'simplify'.  Items that are simple to put up and take down and that are not overly froufrou or elaborate will find their places around the Inn this year.  No tree, or at least not the large artificial one that I usually put up - although I love my ornament collection, the tree is unwieldy and takes a lot of space in the living room.  The Williamsburg arch that is usually above the front door needs to be remade, so this year we have the beautiful wreath you see from Megan Webber at the Shepherdstown Farmers Market and handmade roping from the same vendor at the Christmas Market at the Entler who made the pretty little boxwood tree that graces the entry way now.  The outside market on Sunday and the indoor weekend markets at the War Memorial Building and the Entler Hotel will run through December 23.

For me, decorating for the holiday is a process, not a one-day event, and it never starts before Thanksgiving.  That's just my way, though, and if you like to go full bore and start after Halloween - you go! Enjoy the holiday season in the jolliest way possible for you.

Jeanne & Jim at the Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV