That’s why I’ve decided to bring more recipes to the Main Street Inn blog through personal experiences. Every week, or every other week, you’ll find my version (or a guest blogger’s idea) of a quick, easy, but always delicious recipe waiting for you at Pillow Talk! The flavorful formulas and accompanying photos will be up to date, sometimes prepared the morning of each post, like today’s feature.

Needless to say, I’ve never been one to measure ingredients, which is why baked goods are my arch-nemeses and why you won’t find strict, carefully sequenced recipes on Pillow Talk. Cooking should be an experimental procedure. Remember the ancient but wise “learn by doing” concept? Well, there is also unlearn by doing, a coin termed after my many failures in the kitchen. But thanks to our good friend failure, we know when it is done just right and those are the magical times worth savoring!

Without further ado, Main Street Inn takes you back to middle school Home Economics where we were all once inspired by the quirky recipe, Eggs in a Basket (i.e. Toad in a Hole, Egg in a Hole, Egg in a Nest, insert your favorite name here). Oldie but a goodie, this morning’s meal will have you reminiscing of adolescent memories over tasty eggs nestled in their newfound homes. Although the typical idea is to place the egg in a cut out section of a piece of toasty, lightly buttered bread, we threw a wrench in the mix. A sweet bell pepper and red onion ring made the cut, highlighted by a few other elements.

For starters, get the bell pepper and onion ring simmering in a covered, slightly oiled pan. I decided to make the original egg basket in a different, smaller pan, with a little melted butter. Basically, crack the eggs in each holy vessel and cover the pans with a lid, cooking on low heat until the eggs are how you like them. If they bleed out the bottom a little, it’s perfectly fine.

Determined to make spicy hash browns and crisp off the farmer’s market bread, I finished the egg basket in the oven on a low broil and started to cook some diced potatoes in the buttered pan with a paprika, chipotle seasoning. The gourmet spice mix shown here is fabulous and many varieties can be found at HomeGoods. They’re priced fairly considering the large amount in each cute container, which is ideal for displaying and recycling for later use, unlike some other spice containers I know.

To take this old school recipe to the next level we kicked things up a bit by theming each cute, circular home. The bread took on a basic, rustic theme with the artisan white slice as a ring and cracked pepper to taste. The sweet bell pepper featured a little ground beef from a leftover taco night, freshly shredded pepper jack cheese and tortilla strip garnish. Our red onion ring was topped with fresh basil and mozzarella.

Variety is always a good thing when presenting and enjoying a dish like this so use your imagination and base it off your favorites. Bacon with cheddar? Diced ham and a swiss? The combinations are endless and if you’re wondering if these little guys were thoroughly appreciated? Our final photo does all the talking!

Feel free to send questions, comments, and even suggestions on preparing this quick (30 min. total), tasty morning delight! 

Until Next Time,

The Hands On Recipe Defeater 

Well, sometimes you know too much. I was in need of a little direction. Based off several opinions from locals, college students, and more, the topic was settled: Townies. I think it worked well but you’ll have to decide for yourself when the blog goes live. The Main Street Inn crew will keep you posted on its publishing and then you can continue to check back for more Kutztown focused writing.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t come to terms with the blogging restrictions and felt the need to broadcast more amazing things about Kutztown. There are so many to choose from but our team collaborated to cap it off with a quick-fire 10. Perhaps a future blog post will reveal more hidden gems?

The list below is in no particular order. It would be mighty hard to conquer all of them in one day so why not make a weekend of it? A pristine and comfortable room at the Main Street Inn awaits you and your fun filled Kutztown weekend.

Enjoy and let us know what we missed!

1. The Kutztown Tavern (specifically Pretzels and Mustard)

These plump, perfectly buttered and warm jumbo pretzels are baked fresh and served with a whole grain mustard sauce that has just the right amount of kick. The rest of the menu offers amazing dishes as well but pair this appetizer with one of their fine craft brews and you’ve got yourself a perfect starter for the rest of your meal.

2. Renninger’s Farmer’s Market

Whether you’re looking for Pez dispensers, fresh baked bread, flavorful produce or fur coats, this place has had it all since 1955. Grab your reusable totes and load up on fruit, veggies and meat then take a quick stroll to the antique section where you can bring home some records, a dresser and unique jewelry all in one stop.

3. Letterman’s

One man. One grill. Tons of food. Probably not the best choice if you’re following a strict diet but for the amount of food, flavor and variety they offer, we say let that strict meal plan slide for just one breakfast. Doug whips up extra special meals that can’t be found at any other diner.

4. Kutztown Bottling Works

The Kutztown Bottling Works has the distinction of being one of Kutztown’s oldest continually operated businesses beginning in 1851 when Ed Immel started bottling beverages from a spring near Main Street. The Rhodes, who purchased the company in 1888, built their very own bottling plant. Since then, KBW has been pumping out delicious homemade soda, like their famous Sarsaparilla, created with only the finest ingredients,

5. Pop’s Malt Shoppe

Walk in the door and feel as if you’ve entered through a time machine. Checkered floors, pink walls, candy jars, and ice cream sundaes. Pop’s is everyone’s favorite old fashioned ice cream shop, glass Coke bottles and all! They serve your standard burgers and dogs, as well as a few other food specialties. Let’s not forget the endless sweet options from ice cream to Laffy Taffy and Gummy Worms.

6. Kutztown University

The university deserves recognition not just because of the scholarly aspect. If you haven’t taken a trip through KU’s campus, you wouldn’t know it’s landscaping is out of this world. The grass is always finely cut and flowers bloom vibrantly in every direction. A classmate once told me she chose Kutztown because it had a lot of grass. As funny as that sounds, a campus’ pleasant appearance makes it more enjoyable to attend and KU’s is top notch!

7. Sorrelli Jewelry

No matter where I go, If I happen to be wearing a piece of Sorrelli jewelry, compliments come flying from every direction. Kutztown marks the location of their flagship store but the boutiques are now found all across the country and even internationally. Shop for yourself or earn some brownie points with the significant other. Their work is stunningly gorgeous and one of a kind.

8. Kutztown Folk Festival

A nine day celebration of the Pennsylvania Dutch culture, this is the oldest folklife festival in America! Unfolding this year from June 30th to July 8th, some say the best reason to attend is for the crafts, others go crazy for quilts, many enjoy the re-enactments and EVERYONE loves the food. It typically takes more than a day to get the full experience but whatever time you can offer to the event will be well worth it. People travel from all over the country to take in the nostalgic festival and all it has to offer.

9. The Park

The Kutztown Park made the list because it holds a special place in most Townie’s hearts. Anyone who grew up in Kutztown probably has some type of memory associated with the Kutztown Park. Maybe you joined the KYAA league and spent summer night after summer night there, had a family gathering at one of the pavilions, shot some hoops under the lights, or took a gander at the snack stand menu. It is always a cheerful place, filled with laughter and fun activity.

10. Kutztown Day

On the first Sunday in August, people gather from all over the tiny city to celebrate…well…Kutztown. It’s a one day extravaganza at the park. There are yummy food selections, games, music and more. However, the greatest thing about Kutztown day is the extravagant firework show at the end of it all. Everyone knows the “best spot” to take it all in but I don’t think that’s the important part. I like to think about all the Townies at once, dotted throughout the town’s agreeable landscape, gazing into the same sky, enjoying a spectacular show in honor of the spectacular town we live in.

We hope you have a chance to delight in one or more of these magnificent offerings that Kutztown displays on a daily and yearly basis. The MSI crew is always happy to give more suggestions and you can check our site for events!

Until Next Time,

The Typing Townie

Still thinking? You can stop now.

Obviously, we understand you may not be able to book weekly visits to the Main Street Inn. Despite that, the culinary crew is still adamant about our breakfasts. Pam, Meghan, Shena and occasionally Papa C (Mr. Corrado), can whip up some mean creme brule french toast, tortilla & eggs, biscotti, sausage, quiche, and even the local mystery food, scrapple. There is always a delicious plethora of morning munchies to choose from during a weekend visit.

Homemade Biscotti from the Main Street Inn

When it comes to breaking the fast at home, do you find yourself with this many choices? Probably not. Yet, there is still the need to make a decision, and usually a quick one considering most schedules. I am often torn between two of my favorites, oatmeal and eggs. My final choice tends to be contrived by the weather that day. On the colder side? Oatmeal it is! But a warm Summer morning deserves the light, flavorful start of an egg.

Enter Spring and the weather as of late. Gloomy but not necessarily cold. Pleasant sunshine peeking out here and there. Eggs or oatmeal? Thanks to Framed Cooks, a lovely online recipe database that I stumbled upon, my usual indecisive tendencies were kicked to the curb with a quick recipe that combined the two classic morning delights.

Most of us, including myself, make oatmeal with the intention to sweeten it up. A little brown sugar here, cranberries and bananas there. Viola! This recipe put a salty spin on the traditional oats by adding cheddar, a soft cooked egg and scallions. As hands on people, my mother and I put the recipe to test this very morning!

Quickly recovering from the fact that scallions somehow didn’t make an appearance in our overstuffed fridge, we opted for a family member, red onions, instead. Sauteing them in a little oil while the water boiled for the oats allowed  a perfect amount of time for egg frying afterward. The recipe is so basic that I don’t believe it deserves an entirely lengthy description. Plus, you need to stop reading and go try it out for yourself, with a twist of your own. Basic or not, the result was dynamite.

A little concern arose judging by my mom’s initial response, “it tastes healthy.” Although, after taking my own bite and allowing her to explain further, we happily chowed down on the breakfast that was new to both of us and consensually agreed that we’ll add chopped bacon next time. Because, let’s be honest, everything is better with bacon! Perhaps you’ll see this item during your next stay at the Main Street Inn?

Snag the recipe HERE then share your own photos with us on Facebook. Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

The Breakfast Mediator

Well, for starters, they aren’t here. Those posts are spectacular, don’t get me wrong. In fact, the Main Street Inn crew is guilty of perusing a few ourselves. However, we’ll save you some reading time and let you know the greatest gift for any mom is a stay at the Main Street Inn.

Now that your gift problem is solved, we still wanted to reflect on what makes mothers so special and hopefully bring a smile to your face while doing so. Laughter is, after all, the greatest gift.

I think most of us could agree that moms are special because they deal with inappropriate behavior, as embarrassing as it may be sometimes, and still love their children unconditionally. Some say it’s science. This chemical bond that can’t be broken. I say, from experience, that a mom is able to survive the early embarrassing stages because she knows that once the kid grows into a teenager or young adult, the tables turn.

Well, be it science or patiently planned revenge, the following scenarios either tested the strength of that chemical bond or had the mother conjuring up some pretty awful future retaliation.

Public Nudity – “I was trying on swimsuits at Banana Republic and I took my twins in the dressing room with me. They flung open the door when I was between trying on suits (which means I was naked as a jaybird). When I grabbed the inside hinge of the door to frantically close it, my wedding ring got stuck. The fitting room attendant had to help me get unstuck as my naked body is being reflected into the whole store and I had nowhere to hide. Utter. Humiliation.”

Promotion? – “We invited my husband’s boss over for dinner and it was an embarrassing nightmare. The whole night, my 4-year-old son kept calling him ma’am. I tried to quietly correct him without calling too much attention to it, but the kid looked at me like I was an idiot and kept right on doing it. And then my daughter asked him repeatedly when his baby was coming (he had quite a large belly). When dinner was over and he got up to leave, my son told him, “We thought my dad’s boss was coming, but I am glad you came instead. My mom doesn’t like him at all!”"

Holy Slip-up – “While discussing the 10 Commandments at Vacation Bible School, comparing “God’s Rules” with rules the kids might have at home, my oldest — then about 7 — shouted: At my house, you don’t drink from mom’s cup of soda when it has liquor in it.”

Mom’s a Star – “My daughter looked at the tabloid magazines and said to the next person in line, “My mommy looks just like the movie stars on the cover of this magazine.” Plastered across the cover of the magazine were pictures of ugly butts and the headline said, Stars With Cellulite.”

…More Embarrassing Moments

Have a story that trumps these moments? Share it for extra giggles!

Until Next Time,

Embarrass Free Angel Child

I guess we can blame hors d’oeuvres for the onslaught of tiny tastes…but Martha Stewart’s not off the hook for this one just yet! A French word meaning “outside of the main work,” the hors d’oeuvre concept of small bites was borrowed from early Greeks and Romans. It has stuck ever since, now taking over entire menus.

Embracing the trend, I found the cute size factor is not what excites me. It’s the mere joy of taking one bite and getting a taste of each deliciously awesome ingredient in that single bite. Have you had the experience yet? Man-oh-man, is it satisfying! That, paired with tidy plate presentation (I’m a bit of a de-clutter freak), has motivated me to mini-fy something at almost every meal.

Before your Betty Crocker butt runs off trying to serve an entire Thanksgiving Dinner in a phyllo cup, keep this in mind: opt for meals you already know.

I’m no master of the culinary arts but anyone can take an old recipe, divide it into mini muffin pans (got mine from HomeGoods) and VOILA! Trying this out on some of my usuals, like quiche and shepherds pie, has brought life back to the recipes! Although I only referred to hot food in this post, the possibilities are endless and there is Pinterest to prove it.

So next time you’re preparing a favorite meal, challenge yourself to make it smaller. Then again, some dishes, like the Creme Brule French Toast at Main Street Inn B&B, demand to be large and in charge. We don’t think the guests would have it any other way!

What have you mini-fied lately? 

Until Next Time,

Mini Maven Wanna-Be