Coconut Chocolate Cookies from the Oakwood Inn B & B

Cookie Course By Bridgette A. Lacy, Staff Writer New & Observer, Appearred in section E, Wed, Dec., 12, 2007. Shhh. It's Christmastime. If you listen close you can hear it. No, it's not the clatter of reindeer hooves on the roof. It's the whir of thousands of mixers churning up dough fvor the millions of Christmas cookies that will soon fill tins and stretch bellies across the land. Knowing that many of you are firing up your ovens right about now, we offer a few well-tested Christmas cookie recipes from fellow bakers. Use them for inspiration or simply take solace in knowing that others just like you are toiling away, turning out their own batches of Christmas cheer Gary Jurkiewicz's cookies are so good they can keep people up at night. A guest at the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast in Raleigh, which Jurkiewicz co-owns, once had to turn down his morning meal after helping himself to a full dozen of the innkeeper's cookies during the night. After tasting Jurkiewicz's Coconut Chocolate Chip cookies, which he shares here, we understand. As a boy, Jurkiewicz loved helping his stay-at-home mother with the cleanup after she made cookies and cakes. With the smell of sweet pastries baking in the oven filling the kitchen, Jurkiewicz did his part: "I got to lick the spoon." It was the start of a love affair with baking that continues. Now a pharmacist and innkeeper, Jurkiewicz delights his daughters and his guests with his baked goods. (This is an excerpt of an article written on cookie recipes. If you'd like to read the entire article go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/824910.html Here is Gary's own original recipe for Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies: Gary's Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 2 cups sweetened coconut, toasted (6 ounces) 1-1/4 cups vegetable shortening (8 ounces) 3/4 cup sugar (5.5 ounces) 1-1/4 cups brown sugar, packed (9.5 ounces) 3 cups cake flour (13 ounces) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 eggs, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons coconut extract 2 tablespoons French vanilla yogurt 2-2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Put coconut flakes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Keep an eye on them, and bake until 2/3 of the coconut turns a light to medium tan, from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not get the coconut too brown or it will become dry. Let cool.Mix shortening in the bowl of a mixer until it turns smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar, and mix until light and fluffy.Sift together the cake flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed shortening and sugar mixture. Mix on medium speed. Add vanilla, coconut extract and yogurt. Mix thoroughly.Set mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture allowing all ingredients to combine well. The mixture should be wet but not runny.Using a spatula, hand fold in the chocolate chips until mixed thoroughly. Then hand fold in the coconut until all of the ingredients are mixed well. The batter will be a little drier because the coconut absorbs some of the moisture.Put dough into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Drop 2-tablespoonful-scoops of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, allowing about 21/2 inches between scoops. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges and tops of cookies lightly brown. Check the cookies after about 6 or 7 minutes and, if needed, rotate the baking sheets for even browning. Do not overbake as it will dry the cookie out.Remove cookies from oven and let set for 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets onto baker's rack and let cool for about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container. Makes 45 21/2-inch cookies; analysis is per cookie. Per serving: calories, 180; fats, 10 grams (46% of calories); cholesterol, 9 milligrams; carbohydrate, 24 grams; fiber, 1 gram; protein, 2 grams; sodium, 63 milligrams; sugar, 16 grams. Source: Gary L. Jurkiewicz

Gas Prices Don't Have To Spoil Time Away

Yep, gas prices keep going up and up. Today I paid $3.93 per gallon at the local BP station on Person Street. We Americans have always adapted fairly well to rising gas prices over the years, sometimes cutting down on short trips to the stores or sometimes not traveling so far for a vacation. As prices seem to keep going up, you do have to wonder, where are they going to level off... maybe they never will, but hopefully they may come down a wee bit. Whatever happens, we well just adjust our schedules and routines to make it work... what else can you do..... it's beyond our control. What can be done is maybe less longer vacations, and more frequent short relaxation stays. We have been getting a lot of people coming to us for just a 2 or 3 night stay, traveling anywhere from just 15 minutes from us on up to about 2-3 hours drive. We have always had a strong guest list that has used us for a short stay just to get a few days away from work or the stresses from around the home. But lately, we have seen a small increase in people living nearby and just wanting to get away for a few days. Some come in for a play or concert and dinner, some just for dinner and sit around the Inn, and some with a list of things to see and do that are on the relaxation side. Our website www.oakwoodinnbb.com has a list of a few things like a dinner/theatre package, a date night using the Raleigh Rickshaw service, we have the Oakwood Spa close by that you can take a short walk to and enjoy a relaxing massage, or just come into Raleigh for a weekend event like the Beer Festival or Artsplousure. We always have a lot going on downtown with First Friday where there are numerous art galleries open late. Maybe you'd like to just walk around our Historic neighborhood and look at all of the houses or maybe just try a new restaurant. Or how about just relaxing on our front porch with a glass of wine and a fine cigar, read a book, or just people watch all the neighbors walking by with their dogs. You really don't have to go far to enjoy some relaxation which is what we all need nowadays. You can come to downtown Raleigh, stay at The Oakwood Inn B & B, park your car in our lot and just walk everywhere downtown or take the Raleigh Rickshaw. No gas used in either case. Yeah we don't have the ocean, the sandy beaches, or the peaceful sound of the waves coming into shore. But we do have a quiet and peaceful residential neighborhood, we have good eats around us, quiet time for mediation or relaxation, and peaceful sound of birds chirping in the morning. Doris and I purchased the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast on September 1, 2001, ten days before 9/11 and our occupancy went down, down, down. We quickly re-grouped and came up with a plan to bring locate potential guests and came up with our tag line of: Don't Go Away, Get Away at The Oakwood Inn B & B. That line still stays with us even more so now than before. Cause you don't have to travel far away to have a nice Get Away.... we're just around the corner. A vacation or Get Away does not have to be to some far away exotic place to travel to in order to relax.... it can be right under your nose. A two or three day weekend or even some week days off can do more for reducing stress than a long 10-14 traveling vacation moving from hotel to hotel and seeing sights after sights. Look us up at our website and either call us or just do an online reservation. Gas prices can double, but it doesn't mean that we have to cancel plans for a little time for relaxation.... there are alternatives..... and we Americans will adapt!

City Search Link

A few months ago, we had City Search do a one minute video on the Oakwood Inn B &B. Yours truly is the commentator. It was fun and the video is informative. Check it out by clicking on the link below. A picture of me with a big triangluar button on my nose should come up. Click on the triangle button and watch. It talks about the Inn and also about a new service in downtown, The Raliegh Rickshaw Company. They are men and women that peddle you around town in a three seater tricycle... one seat for the driver and a bench seat for two for the customers. They are a lot of fun. We have them in these video. I'll talk more about them in my next blog. For now..... check us out on City Search... click below. And for those of you who have recently stayed with us, post a review about your experience at The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast. City Search Link: http://triangle.citysearch.com/profile/6181356/raleigh_nc/oakwood_inn_bed_breakfast.html Thank you for reading. Gary

Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour 2007

2007 is the 36th Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour. This year's tour offers 12 homes in Historic Oakwood on December 8 & 9 from 1pm to 7pm. Prices are $15 per person in advance or $20.00 the day of the Tour. The tour is the major event that the Society for the Preservation of Historic Oakwood has to raise money for the use in the Historic District. The money is used for various improvements of the neighborhood. This past year we saved an old house from the wrecking ball. We had the house moved from its location at Peace Street and Boylan to 207 Linden Street which is in Historic Oakwood. The house was repaired and brought up to code, and is now on the market for a new owner. Every year the tour is on the second weekend of December. All of the homes on tour are decorated for Christmas in their own unique fashion. Advance ticket sales are throughout Raleigh. You can also go online and purchase them for a $2.00 fee per ticket at E-tix at http://www.historicoakwood.org/. This is our second year using E-tix for make purchases for advance sales, making it very convenient for you to buy the tickets at the advance price without having to physically travel to a location. When you purchase them via E-tix, you receive a voucher for tickets. To pick up your tickets, take the voucher to The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast on the day of tour and just exchange them for your tickets. It's that simple! The tickets are more like a brochure, which has a map and location of all the homes and areas of interest on it. This year, we will have a horse and carriage ride, as well as a bicycle rickshaw ride provide by Raleigh Rickhsaw. The horse and carriage or the rickshaws will be able to provide a little more fun this year. The Tucker House will be open for cookies and refreshments along with some entertainment. The Historic Oakwood Cemetery will also be open for tours. For more information or advance ticket sales, call The Oakwood Inn B & B at 919-832-9712 located at 411 North Bloodworth, Raleigh, NC 27604. Come and Join us for Fun, Food, and Pleasure! Call for information at 919-832-9712 or go to http://www.historicoakwood.org/, or http://www.oakwoodinnbb.com/.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR BUSINESS MAILER

You received a letter from us introducing you to The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast. The letter was mailed out to all North Carolina registered principals that handle the lobbying for various companies and interest groups.

Now for those who live a great distance from Raleigh, staying with us makes logical sense. However, for some of you who live/work in Raleigh or fairly close, obviously staying with us to visit the legislature may not seem rational, and we agree.

However, we DO get many guests that stay with us for a night or two, just to getaway from the everyday stress and mundane routines. It may be an escape from work, or from the kids, or from the pressures of home, or just to do something a little different. We DO have quite a few guests that just need a weekend away without having to drive to far to enjoy it.

We have some nice dinner/theatre packages... stay a night at the Inn, have dinner at a downtown restaurant, and go see a play at one of the eight theatre groups in downtown Raleigh. Make plans with your spouse or significant other to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or date that is meaningful for the both of you.

So you see, you may live in or near Raleigh and you don't need to stay with us for a business event, but you can and should stay with us for a short little vacation!

SPECIAL OFFER:

For those who stay with us for 1 room night, we'll include two free Oakwood Inn coffee cups (a $10.00 retail value) WITH PRESENTATION OF COUPON. For those who stay with us for 2 consecutive room nights, we'll include two free Oakwood Inn coffee cups AND two free Oakwood Inn wine glasses (a $24.00 retail value) WITH PRESENTATION OF COUPON.

1. IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS OFFER, YOU NEED TO EMAIL US AT OUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND ASK US TO SEND YOU A SPECIAL OFFER COUPON WHICH IS ONLY VALID UNTIL DECEMBER 20, 2007. You can do this now without having to make a room reservation. email: innkeepers@oakwoodinnbb.com

2. When you decide on a date, call for a reservation, please inform us at this time that you have a coupon for the SPECIAL OFFER.

3. At the time of check in, you must present us with the coupon in order to receive the SPECIAL OFFER. Again, this is subject to a reservation and the COUPON MUST be presented at the time of check in.

4. Offer is subject to room availability and some black out periods may apply.

5. Lost coupons will NOT be replaced. One coupon per email address request. Offer is only good for one time per couple during 2007.

6. Photocopies or computer reproductions of coupon are not valid nor allowed.

Thank you for reading our Blog and we hope that you will take advantage of our SPECIAL OFFER for the year 2007. Check our Blog on a regular basis for news about the Oakwood Inn and area events.

Gary L. Jurkiewicz

JUNE Murder Mystery CANCELED

I'm am sorry but due to an overwhelming schedule and some unexpected projects, I will have to canceled the June 2007 Murder Mystery Weekend. I hope to have it done and ready for the Fall of 2007, I will keep you all informed. Gary