Happy Thanksgiving!!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day!!!

It's time for "A Christmas Story"!

That's right, and the Parker's house is right here in Northeast Ohio! In case you were not aware, the Tremont section of Cleveland is home to the house that was used as the family home in the 1983 holiday film classic, "A Christmas Story." The film was set in Dec. 1940 and follows 9 year old Ralphie Parker who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. But poor Ralphie encounters nothing but naysayers in his quest with everyone giving him the ominous warning that "You'll shoot your eye out!" The Santa scene with the big slide and mean elf was also filmed in Cleveland, at the now deceased Higbee's department store. In case you haven't seen the film, you'll be able to catch it many times on TBS which will be showing a 24-hour Christmas day marathon. Check out Cleveland's connection to the house and the department store. It is definitely a treat for the entire family.

In 2004, San Diego native Brian Jones purchased the 110-year old house and restored the former duplex to it's "movie splendor" both inside and out. It is now a museum and gift shop and is open for tours year round Thursdays through Sat. from 10:00 to 5:00 and Sundays from 12:00 to 5:00. We attempted to go on the tour last year on a weekend in Dec. but we were met with very long lines and very little parking plus it was almost time to close. So we're hoping to go this year. It is recommended that you park downtown and travel by Trolley out to the house. Price is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 7 to 12 and FREE for children under 6.
While you're in Tremont, be sure to wander around and visit the shops and restaurants in the area. You will definitely find a big collection of Leg Lamps for sale!


If you're in the area this Thanksgiving weekend, you might want to check out the "Christmas Story Convention". For complete details on that check out the website at http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/.

Now you have one more thing to add to your List of Things To Do in Northeast Ohio! And Hallauer House B & B is only a short 30 minute drive to "A Christmas Story House and Museum" . So come for a visit! You'll be glad you did!

A Crowd Pleasing Breakfast Menu with Recipe!

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, you may be wondering what to serve the crowd for breakfast or brunch before the big turkey dinner. Let us make a suggestion!
Our Thanksgiving breakfast for six guests will consist of the following bountiful feast foods:

Mini Loaves of Spicey Pumpkin Bread with Creamy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread
Frothy Cranbery-Raspberry Soup topped with Dollop of Frozen Vanilla Yogurt and Raspberries
Apple-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast highlighted with Confectioners' Sugar and Toasted Almonds and topped with Warm Maple Syrup
Herb Encrusted Sausage Patties
Freshly Brewed Coffee
Tea Assortment
Chocolately Hot Chocolate

On a previous post, I shared my experience making the Pumpkin Bread recipe, so now I'll take you through the process of making the Apple-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast. It has been voted a winner among guests who have enjoyed it at breakfast here at the B & B.

Apple-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients:
20 slices freshly baked bread
8 eggs
2 cups half and half
2 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
21 ounce can apple pie filling

1. Mix the first four Filling ingredients together until well combined. Fold in the apple pie filling.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture over 10 slices of the bread and top with the other 10 slices, forming a sandwich.
3. Place bread sandwiches in a large baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
4. Combine the eggs, half and half, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until well mixed.
5. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top of the sandwiches until all the bread is soaked.
6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Bake at 350 degrees covered for approximately 40 minutes.
8. Then uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
9. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
10. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and toasted almonds. Serve with warm maple syrup. (We use Ohio Maple since it's the best!)

As you can see, this recipe can be made the night before so it' preparation won't interfer with the turkey prep! So gather the ingredients and prepare for a great breakfast. You won't be disappointed!

Become Our Friend On MySpace!

1830 Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast wants to meet other Bed & Breakfasts and so she has created her own blog on MYSPACE! Visit Hallauer House on MYSPACE at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=278097312! Come and join our friends list! Come as a stranger, leave as a friend!

Me in the 1960's!

A Web Article About Us!

For all you historical buffs out there, just wanted to let you know about the Historical Inns in Ohio that were recently highlighted in an on-line article at Trans World News. (For full article go to the website at http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=26505&cat=7. And 1830 Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast had the lead at the top of the article! We are proud and excited to have had this article written about us and to share with you our attempt to keep alive the part of history that Ohio played in the Civil War and the Underground Railroad.

Five years ago when we were deciding on a theme for our new bed and breakfast, we realized it was a no-brainer! With all the Civil War books, swords and memorabilia we owned, plus Oberlin's history we most certainly should be a Civil War themed B & B. So we set about to create the two rooms across from each other into the Union and Confederate rooms.

The Confederate
Room and the 10th South Carolina Confederate Uniform








We loaded each room up with the proper books, magazines, artifacts, swords, and decorating schemes but it was not until some very dear guests donated the authentic reproduction Union and Confederate uniforms that the entire rooms came together. For this we thank again, Bob and Ann Jones. You guys are terrific!







The Union Room and 55th New York Irish Brigade Union Uniform


Then when we opened the suite a few years later, a local resident came up with the name Mason/Dixon Suite
since it overlooks the northern and southern sides of the house and has a little more modern feel than the front two rooms.





The connection to the Underground Railroad was discovered quite by accident one day a couple of years ago. We'd wondered for some time what role this house played during the 1850's and 60's since the basement has a section behind one wall that is elevated, has a dirt floor, and was open to the dry cistern that we discovered during excavation for an addition. Then one day while we were sitting in the center room, we noticed a hole in the floor that had not been there before. On closer examination, we discovered that the hole in the center of the floor board had contained a round plug that had fallen out.


The hole in the center of the floor.



When Joe reached into the hole, he discovered a rectangular device that can be removed and replaced quite easily. It is still in tact, made with square nails, fits right in the middle of the original floor board and it is this area of the room that sits on top of the hidden room in the basement.








The floor peg as it sits up out of the floor.





I guess our next step is to find one or more artifacts in the dirt basement underneath this area of the upstairs room. Sounds like a job for a 10 year, curious boy. I wonder if our 10 year old grandson is up to the challenge? Oh Ethan!!

So when you're planning a trip, keep us in mind. Check out the History Buff Package on our website or just come for a weekend visit. We'll be glad to share with you the stories of Oberlin's history and give you a glimpse of the Civil War. Think about it. You know you want to come! You definitely will not be disappointed!

Don't Put Off What There is to do in Your Own Home Town!

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You know how it is when you have a great tourist place in your own home town but you just never seem to take the time or have the time to go and visit it? If you're like me, you say, "We've got to go there next Saturday!" But then Saturday comes and something else comes up and you just never make it. Well that's how it's been for me with one of Oberlin's most famous treasures - the Weltzheimer/Johnson House built by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. We have lived here for 15 years. Joe has visited this famous house several times with school elementary classes but I have only driven past the outside, always wondering what it was like on the inside. Well, today is the first Sunday of the month, the normal open house time, and I decided that I'd put this visit on the back burner long enough! We could visit the house and then go for a walk in the woods nearby. So off we went!

The Usonian House sits on 3 acres right in Oberlin and is one of the few Wright built homes open to the public. It was designed for the Weltzheimer family of Wellington in 1948 and completed in 1950. My impression of this house was "WOW! This is really unique!" The walls and ceiling are all wood - no need to paint! The floor is concrete - no need for carpeting! The heat consisted of hot water pipes running through the concrete floor so it was warm on your feet. (Unfortunately, we were told that the pipes are too rusty to use now.) The windows are doors that open to the outside. No need for drapes or curtains! The kitchen is not quite original, but is uniquely located off the great room and separated by brick columns so if you're working in the kitchen you can still converse with guests in the other room.

After listening to the tour docent, we set out to explore the rest of the house, which consisted of 5 bedrooms all located next to each other and all with 2 doors that opened to the outside. The long hallway that connected these rooms had book shelves the entire length of it opposite the bedrooms! Would you have enough books and nick knacks to fill this up?! The master bath had a corner tub with toilet and bidet (The bidet is the one thing that the elementary students really loved and remembered!). The beds and furniture in the house are very simple and utilitarian. The house seemed a little dark since it is all wood and the doors and windows are on one side and it made it difficult to get good pictures even with a flash but I could live there! . Life would be so simple! That's what this house conveyed to me - simplicity and freedom from 'stuff.'
This is a view from a bedroom to the Great Room. The house is in the shape of an L. The short side is the Great Room and the long side is the bedroom side.
View from Great Room to the outside. Notice the sky lights in the porch roof.

For more information go to the Oberlin Allen Art Museum website at http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/flwright.html. And WHEN you come to Oberlin ( notice I said WHEN, not if, you come to Oberlin), be sure to put the Frank Lloyd Wright House on your itineray. You will not be disappointed. Come and visit Oberlin. You know you want to!