A new baby, Fireplaces, Inspections and Insulation

A NEW BABY

It's been a while since I have had a breakfast ready for people to try, and the main reason for this is that Cooper Daniel, our second son was born on December 7, 2011. He is beautiful! He was 7 lbs 11 ozs when he was born, but he is already well over 8lbs. So far he loves to eat!! My time has been taken up with him and trying to keep up with Clayton our almost 2 year old son. Clayton is a very good big brother, he loves Cooper and takes good care of him, but it it busy. Clayton isn't exactly gentle. He loves to play and roughhouse! Today both boys are actually sleeping at the same time and I have been able to set up and post this blog!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 4, BAKED YUMMINESS!! 8am

The plan for the next breakfast will be for Wednesday January 4th! I am thinking that I will make some baked goods, muffins, scones, that sort of thing. And then there will be yogurt, granola and fresh fruit! If you would like to join us please let me know by Monday.

THE BED AND BREAKFAST

The addition is coming along really well. We have passed the framing, plumbing, and electrical inspections!!! it was a bit of a challenge getting through all of the inspections. There were sveral little things that we needed to have done that we didn't think we would have to do, so the building was delayed for a couple of weeks. But they are now done and everything can keep moving. Having those inspections done has been great, because it means that the insulation can go in. So right now Nathan, the owner of Stenfert Construction, who is building the addition for us, is working on getting all of the insulation and vapor barrier up. I think that he is really excited about this step because that means that he will stay much warmer while he is working! Getting the insulation in also means that we are closer to the drywall, and the paint and then getting in all of the finishing touches! I am excited about the finishing touches. I have some really great ideas as to how everything should look so I am really looking forward to being able to put it all together. We have been collecting furnishings and decorations for a while now. Ben would tell you that we have hundreds of pillows(we don't...)!! And we are slowly running out of storage space for these things. It will be really neat to see everything in its' spot. The plan is to have the addition all ready to go by the end of January!

The other really exciting thing that has happened is that we have the fireplaces in! Each room has a fireplace, which will also have a TV on top of it. The fireplace will add coziness and warmth to both of roms. What could be better than sitting in bed with a book, and the fireplace on making everything warm and homey? When I saw this step it made everything very real! It made each of the rooms look and feel like a real room. It added a touch of coziness and made me want to put the beds in and stay the night!

This is the before of where the fireplace will be..

And here is the after with the fireplace put into place.

By the end of this week we should have a good chunk of the drywall in place,, so look back soon for pictures!! And don't forget to let me know if you want to come for breakfast on Wednesday morning!

Happy New Year!

Mmmm Cinnamon Buns - Wednesday December 7, 2011

On Wednesday December 7, the Stenferts will be serving homemade cinnamon buns! They are sooooo, good. I know it's late notice, but if you are able to, come on out! Breakfast will be served at 8am!

Let me know if you would like to join us! lstenfert@gmail.com, or 613-608-0565

Bacon and Eggs anyone??? Wednesday November 30th

This Wednesday morning I will be making regular old bacon and eggs. They will be mouth watering and delicious. They will be cooked to perfection and it will be a geat way to start off the day. So if you are able and would like to join Ben, Clayton and myself just let me know by Tuesday night. It will be served at 8am!!

Why a B&B you may ask...

Recently my sister suggested that I write a little bit about why we are opening up a bed and breakfast and I thought that it was a great idea,, so here goes! I have known for a really long time now that I have wanted to own my own business, but I just never really knew when I would be able to do that,, or what exactly that would look like. I always thought and still do think that I will have a retail shop of some sorts. And that is still the ultimate goal, but the timing for that just isn't right for where Ben and I are in our lives right now.



There are a couple of reasons for this. Right now, Ben has already started up his own busines. He is working very hard and extremely successfully in opening up his own financial services brokerage with World Financial Group. This has been an exciting ride, but we do need to focus a lot of time and energy on that to ensure that it will continue to work out and be successful, like starting up any business would need.


Secondly, we are having a second baby(hopefully any day now!), and opening up a retail store would just be too much additional work and ridiculous amounts of stress on top of having 2 kids. Thirdly I have no idea where I want to open up this shop. Part of me really wants to open it up in some small ocean front town, where everyone knows everyone, but part of me doesn't want to have to move and I want to be able to open it up here in Ottawa. Fourthly I am not 100% sure of what I would like to sell. At first I thought it would be an outdoors store, gear and all but now I am leaning more towards funky outdoor chic kind of clothing, and not gear. Ultimately I just don't think that we are ready to start down the path of owning a retail store, there are a lot more concrete decisions that we would have to make. We need to have a much better plan in place when we want to open up shop. So for now I think that it's a better idea to let these ideas continue to percolate and see what we can come up with over the next couple of years.



After mulling over about whether or not to start up a retail store,Ben and I tried to think of what we could do instead, that would allow Ben the time he needs to put into his business but that would give me a challenge and something to work on. We had been talking about putting an addition above our garage. At first we threw around the idea of just making it an amazing master bedroom suite, and that would be Ben and I's space. However when we starting talking about it more, we thought that if we put a bed and breakfast in, we would be able to earn some extra income, it would give me some flexibility while I am at home with the kids, and it would be a great way to test out whether or not we like the hospitality industry. So the more we thought about it the more we thought that it was a good idea, and now,, well Green Truck Bed and Breakfast is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality.

There is also another reason for the bed and breakfast. One of our other long term goals is to open up a luxury resort or villa. We want to own a large amount of land, preferrably on water, and we want to be able to build cabins on this land, and rent them out. There will be a main lodge and a wide range of activivites for the guests to partake in. The cabins will be very cozy and luxurious, and it will be open year round. So with this in mind, we thought that a bed and breakfast might be a good stepping stone into some of these other crazy dreams and ideas that we have. We will be learning more about owning our own business, we will learn more about hosting people and what it is that people want out of their accomodations, and it's something that I can work on while being at home with 2 kids. Granted it's going to be a little nuts and busy, but it will be fun, exciting, and very challenging all at the same time. I can't wait to see what the first year of being open will bring!

Shingles, a Patio Door and Eggs benedict!

It's amazing to see how much can happen in a week! The construction has been going well. We now have the front of the house matching the existing house. There are new shingles on the roof. The patio door has been installed. There has been a bunch more interior framing done! And that's all in just this week. Ben and I go up into the addition at least once a day to see what's all happening, and it's fun because it's getting easier and easier to picture what the finished product will look like.








I love watching our neighbours. I think that we are the talk of the neighbourhood. Every time someone walks by, they walk by slowly and they look at the addition the entire time. I would love to know what they are all thinking about what we are doing!! One of our neighbours stopped by and told us that we need to have an open house when the construction is all done so that everyone can see how it looks!! Ben and I thought that was a great idea, so I'll keep everyone posted, but we will be having an open house to show off our new bed and breakfast.


Last week Wednesday I made eggs Benedict for a couple of friends, Ben and myself. I was pretty nervous about making this one. It's one of those meals that I have just never made, so I thought that it was really complicated! However it wasn't so bad. I discovered that the trick to making a poached egg so that it doesn't explode all over the pan, is that you just add a little bit of white vinegar. Who knew?!? Somehow that keeps all of the egg in tact and still looking good when you put it on a plate to serve someone. And as for the hollandaise sauce, it was delicious, if I do say so myself. However I can't take full credit for that one, I do have to thank clubhouse spices. They sure do make a good base to work from!! All in all the recipe that I used worked out really well and I will definitely be adding that to our menu for our bed and breakfast. I unfortunately forgot to take some pictures of the eggs Benedict, so you'll just have to use your imagination as to how wonderful it looked!

Our first Window!

The construction is coming along well. The interior walls are framed and we have our first window! It's really awesome being able to see the walls go up and being able to picture exactly what the b and b will look like.

These are the 2 bedrooms!

Clayton loves ladders. He can climb them on his own, so now when we go outside we have to be super careful that he doesn't just start going up! He is pretty excited about the bed and breakfast as well!!

Come join us for EGGS BENEDICT - Wednesday November 16th

Our bed and breakfast is getting closer and closer to being finished! It's so exciting being able to see the progress everyday. There are some windows in, and the interior walls have been framed. We had the guy who is installing the fireplaces come and look at the construction so far, and everything seems to be good to go!

Ben and I have started to cook a variety of different breakfasts on Wednesday mornings. Wednesday morning is the morning that Ben stays home and hangs out with me and Clayton. So we thought that it would be a good time to try some new recipes and see what works best! So far we have had vanilla scones, cinnamon buns, pancakes, bacon and eggs, french toast, and brie and pear crepes. It's been a lot of good food. I think that our favorite has been the cinnamon buns. They turned out really well.

This upcoming Wednesday I am going to try and cook eggs benedict. I don't think that I personally ever made eggs benedict! I have a good friend who is really good at making them and has made them several times for Ben and I, hopefully I can live up to the standard that he has set!

I would like to invite anyone who is interested in trying eggs benedict at the green truck B and B to come on out. Breakfast will be served at 9am. If you would like to come out please let me know. You can send me a quick e-mail, at lstenfert@gmail.com.

First Night in the B and B

Last night, since the walls were up and there were some stars to be seen through the roofless ceiling, Ben decided that he wanted to be the first guest of our new bed and breakfast. He got out his winter sleeping bag, 2 comforters, his toque, long underwear, fleece pants and pillow and camped up in the unfinished addition!!

Oh I forgot about the machete! Ben was pretty concerned about the squirrels and raccoons!!!













The first night in our new B and A was a success! Ben made it through the night without any animal visitors, and without even getting cold. At one point he even said that he was too hot!!



But don't worry, any of our future visitors will be able to enjoy comfortable beds, cozy fireplaces, and delicious breakfasts!

First Pictures of the New B and B

Ben and I have finally been able to get the construction started on the new addition to our house. It's been exiting to watch the process. The roof above the garage has been completely taken off and the floor joists are in! We got the lumber for the flooring and the framing today, and Nathan has a crew coming over tomorrow to help out! It's so great, because we are actually starting to see the fruits of our labour. This week has been brutal for weather, unfortunately. It has rained a lot! And the winds on Thursday were insane! This has made the process a little slower, but all in all it's coming along well. Oh and the windows are being picked up tomorrow! I am so excited about how the whole construction is coming along and I can't wait to see the addition unfold.

As some of you may know, we are going to be opening up a bed and breakfast in this new addition of ours. We are going to be having 2 guest rooms, which will each have their own bathroom and fireplace. They are going to be absolutely beautiful! I will keep you all posted with new pictures.

So why a b and b you may ask???

Well, the idea came to us about a year ago, when we were thinking of new and exciting ideas for our house, we love to change things up a lot! We have always loved the idea of using our house as an income source, so we thought that opening up a bed and breakfast would be a great way to do that! Also we are expecting a second baby, and I will be home more often, so it will be a great challenge for me, and a great way to earn a little more income while I am at home. Lastly, and most importantly Ben and I have always dreamed of owning some type of cottage/cabin resort out by a beautiful lake, on a gorgeous property, and we thought that this would be a great way to get this dream started. We are very passionate about our dreams and it's pretty cool to be able to see them starting to come true!!

Take a look at some of the pictures, and stay tuned for more progress.

The roof is off and the floor joists are going in!This is the view from our garage, it's a beautiful skylight!