Asheville Bed & Breakfast - North Carolina Bed & Breakfast in Asheville near Blue Ridge Parkway, Chimney Rock Park, Pisgah National Forest, Great Smokey Mountains Park

March & April Newsletter & Contest

What's Happening Here at the Inn
The winter has kept us busy painting. The Dining Rooms and staircase received new paint. The Dining Rooms are now a beautiful sunny yellow color that brings out the gold and burgundy in the crown molding. We've also been painting the white trim in all the first floor rooms. The next painting project will be the stairwell walls leading from the first to the second floors.

In a few weeks, we will be installing a separate entrance door to the Sycamore Suite in the Carriage House. Right now, the Innkeeper and guests share an entrance and the new door will allow guests a private entryway.

We are just starting to see spring bulbs popping up, including the daffodils, hyacinth, and tulips. We received a little snow the last week in February so we are keeping our fingers crossed that the coldest weather is gone. While we did not receive a lot of snow this year, the temperatures have been very cold this winter. Many, many nights, the temperatures were below freezing and we even had more than a few days in the teens and single digits. The pipes in our kitchen even froze (at least the pipes leading to the guestrooms were fine) and once they thawed, we had one little pipe burst to contend with.

We are eagerly looking forward to warmer temperatures and to the coming Spring. Biltmore Estate tickets are still at their Winter rates, so march will be the perfect time to come. I'm sure everyone is in need of a "Spring Break."

The weekend of April 11th & 12th, we are hosting our first Classy Cooking & Biltmore Estate Getaway Weekend Package. Read below for all the details.

The weekend of April 18th & 19th, we are having the wedding and reception for Amanda Artiss & Troy Draper. We are looking forward to meeting all of their friends and family for this special occasion.

January/February Contest Winner
Congratulations to our January/February Contest winner, Kristi Griffin, from Flintstone, GA. We have gotten the most response to this contest (I'm betting it's because people are stuck inside and spending too much time on their computers). Kristi won a $100 Blake House Inn Gift Certificate for answering the following question correctly:

Question:
Presidents Day, celebrated on the third Monday in February, is a holiday combining what two President's February birthdays?

Answer:
George Washington & Abraham Lincoln

March/April Contest:
Answer the following question correctly between March 1 - April 30 and you could win a $100 Blake House Inn Gift Certificate, good for one year.

Question:
Of the 17 B&Bs in the Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association, six allow pets. Blake House is one of the six. Name the other five.

Submit your answer via email to blakehouseinn@charterinternet.com or use our Fast Form on the Contact Us Page. Be sure to include your name, address, and email address. The winner will be drawn on May 1st from all entries and the $100 Gift Certificate will be mailed to the winner. Please be sure to include your address in your answer.

Calendar of Events:

Victorian Easter Celebration at the Smith-McDowell House - 3/6 - 3/31
53rd Annual Easter Sunrise Service at Chimney Rock Park - 3/23
Festival of Flowers at Biltmore - 4/5 - 5/11
Weaverville Art Safari - 4/26 & 4/27
Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) - 5/9 - 5/11 - Camp Rockmont, Black Mountain

Classy Cooking & Biltmore Weekend Getaway Package

Our first ever, cooking weekend will be held April 11th & 12th at Blake House.

Costs: starting at $325 (Single); $410 (double)

Included: All instruction and materials including recipes and ingredients for Friday night's dessert class and Saturday evening's four-course dinner class, 1 Biltmore Estate ticket good for two consecutive days for each participant, two full breakfasts each morning of your stay, Wine & Cheese Social Friday evening after check-in.

Your Instructor: We proudly introduce your cooking instructor, Loretta Jenkins. Loretta was the Valedictorian of her class at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, a Le Cordon Bleu program. She has gained experience as a culinary professional from the Biltmore Estate's Bistro as well as the Inn on Biltmore Estate, the Broadmoor Hotel (a 5-star, 5-diamond hotel in Colorado Springs), and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She continues her work at Biltmore Estate's Bistro and is expanding her experience to include working with our local B&Bs.

Itinerary: The Weekend Schedule is as follows: Friday:

Check-in: 3-5 pm
Wine & Hors D'oeuvres Social Hour: 5-6 pm
Friday Night Cooking Class: 6-8 pm

Class will consist of preparing a Tortilla Soup with Avocado for Saturday night's dinner, plus
Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse atop a Flourless Choclate Cake with Strawberry Coulis (this you get to eat for dessert on Friday night)

Saturday:

Breakfast: 9 am in our Dining Rooms - we serve a full, sit-down, hot breakfast each morning
Biltmore Estate: 10 am - 4 pm - you will have all day to explore the Estate and enjoy the Annual Festival of Flowers and free wine tasting at their winery
Saturday Evening Cooking Class & Dinner: 5 - 8 pm

Class will consist of preparing and eating (the best part!) a four course dinner of:

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Shaved Red Onion, Candied Nuts, with a Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette
Tortilla Soup with Avocado (prepared Friday night)
Bracciole (Flank Steak filled with fresh Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers, and Bleu Cheese), served with Shitake Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto
Kahlua Créme Brulee

Dinner: 7 - 7:30 pm

Sunday:

Breakfast: 9 am in our Dining Rooms
Check-out 11:00
Your Biltmore tickets are good for 2 consecutive days (only offered through Asheville B&Bs) so you can go back to the Estate and enjoy a second day if you wish.

Space is limited and the Package rate is based on what room you stay in. If you have two people staying in the same room, but only one will be participating in the Cooking Classes, the rate is based on the Single Package plus an extra Biltmore Ticket ($42). Taxes will be added to all packages.

Call now to get your room!

March & April Newsletter & Contest

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