Amish Country Ohio Auctions

You may know about the seasonal benefit auctions in Ohio Amish Country but every week there are local auctions where you can observe livestock, hay, produce, etc., being auctioned off.

• Monday and Friday auctions are in Sugarcreek
• Tuesday auction are in Farmerstown
• Wednesday auction is in Mt. Hope
• Thursday auction is in Kidron
• 2nd Saturday of the month is in Mt. Hope

The Sugarcreek auctions are located at 102 Buckeye St., SW, Sugarcreek, OH.  For more information call 330-852-2832.

The Farmerstown auctions are located at 2807 State Road 557, Baltic, OH  43804.  For more information call 330-897-6081.

In Mt. Hope you will find a flea market that opens around 7 a.m.  Hay, produce, and eggs go on sale at 10 am.  The livestock sale begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by a poultry sale at 1 p.m.  They are located across the street from Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen restaurant.  The 2012 schedule can be found on their website.

The Kidron, Ohio auction is the oldest livestock auction in Ohio. It is located across the street from Lehmans store.

Most of the auctions have great food, baked goods, produce and flea markets.

Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com

Restaurants in Ohio Amish Country

One of the first things that people look for on their Amish Country vacation in Ohio is where to eat.   You probably expect to only find Amish home cooking but you may be surprised at all of the dining options in Holmes County, Ohio and the surrounding area.

• Mrs. Yoders Kitchen in Mt. Hope offers some of the best home cooking in the County.  Be sure to save room for pie.  They are located at the corner of State Route 241 and County Road 77.
• Millers Dutch Kitchen in Baltic is a close 2nd to Mrs. Yoders Kitchen.  They are best known for their fried or broasted chicken.   They are located just off of State Route 93 about 6 miles south of State Route 39 in the heart of Baltic.
• The Inn at Honey Run on County Road 203 has a restaurant called Tarragon.  It is a good choice for special occasions because they offer fine dining.  They are located between Berlin and Millersburg.
• Bags Sports Pub offers good food in a casual atmosphere with a golf decor.  You will find everything from burgers on a pretzel bun to a broiled salmon salad to BBQ ribs and steaks.  For the beer lover they have approximately 100 beers to choose from!  They are located on Main Street/State Route 39 in the village of Millersburg.
• Chalet in the Valley is near Charm.    They are owned by the Guggisberg family that has a cheese factory across the street.  Their specialty is Swiss cooking with things like Wiener Schnitzel and Smothered Chicken.  If you like fondue be sure to try theirs!  They are located on State Route 557 about 2 miles south of State Route 39.
• The Dutch Hospitality Corporation operates 3 restaurants in Amish Country:  Der Dutchman (Walnut Creek), Dutch Valley Restaurant (Sugarcreek/Dover), and Farmstead Restaurant (Berlin).  They are best know of Amish-style cooking.
• Boyd & Wurthmann is on Main Street in Berlin and is the choice for those people that like a hometown diner.  The restaurant is smaller and not big on decor but they offer Amish home cooking on the menu.  
• Fast Food:  Head south on State Route 83/US 62 in Millersburg and you will run across Subway, Wendys, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Chengs Chinese Gourmet

Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com

Funky Ohio Wines

You've heard of Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot, but there are some really funky names for some Ohio Wines.  Don't let the names keep you away because the flavors are delicious.  When you  travel in Northeast Ohio be sure to check out these wines:

1. Hanky Panky.  A sweet catawba wine from Maize Valley Winery
2. Foreplay.  A fruity wine made with different berries from Al-Bi Winery
3. Pirates Pour.  A berry flavored Chambourcin from Winery at Versailles
4. Big Red Pecker.  Dry Merlot from Maize Valley Winery
5. White Lies.  Sweet wine from Winery at Wolf Creek
6. Wine Dog Red.  Red currant and pomegranite sweet red from Winery at Perennial Vineyards
7. Mad Cow.  Intense grape flavors from Maize Valley Winery
8. Space Cowboy.  Fruity peach wine from Winery at Wolf Creek
9. Old Dusty Miller.  Semi-sweet wine from Breitenbach Winery
10. Red Neck Red.  Sweet red wine from Maize Valley Winery.

There are fun flavors in Ohio wines today.  At Al-Bi Winery you can sample American Red Watermelon Wine.  The Winery at Wolf Creek has Pinot Colada which tastes very much like a Pina Colada cocktail.  If you like the flavor of apples be sure to check out Original Sin from Winery at Wolf Creek.  If you want to avoid traveling to several wineries to try all of these wines you can visit a wine tasting showroom.  Gateway Place on US 62 in Wilmot lets you sample 40 or more kinds of these wines.  If you are in the Sugarceek, Ohio area stop in Heinis Gourmet Market to sample many of these wines.  Stop in on a Saturday afternoon and find musical entertainment to enjoy with your wine.  If you want to have a designated driver to sample Ohio wines then check out the wine tours offered by Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast in Millersburg, Ohio.

Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com

Carol' Top 5 Picks for Ohio Cheese

If you have ever traveled to Holmes County, Ohio, you know that this Amish area is famous for Ohio Cheese.   Almost every tourist that visits Amish Country goes home with some kind of cheese.  Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast owner, Carol Steffey, is sharing her five favorite cheeses in the area:

1. Guggisberg Cheese:  Baby Swiss. This cheese is so smooth and that it will melt in your mouth.  It is great to snack of with a glass of your favorite wine or to enhance the flavor of a sandwich.
2. Walnut Creek Cheese:  Smoked Swiss Cheese.  If you don't like sharp or strong cheese but you want something with a full body flavor this is your cheese.  My favorite way to eat it is on crackers but it is also very good in an omelette.
3. Pearl Valley Cheese: Emmentaler.  This cheese has a bold, nutty flavor and is part of the Swiss cheese family.  We love to use this in our breakfast dishes at the bed and breakfast to add some extra flavor. 
4. Broad Run Cheese: Smokey Sharp Cheddar.  Words like smokey and sharp may suggest a very strong cheese, but it is just right.  It puts a burst of flavor in your mouth and is great by itself or on crackers.
5. Heini's Bunker Hill Cheese:  Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread.  You can sample about 50 kinds of cheese at this cheese factory and they are all good.  This unique spread is full of flavors!  For a quick appetizer, spread it on a slice of ham or turkey and roll it up.  Slice it like pinwheels and enjoy.

There are so many flavors to choose from with Ohio Cheese that you could try a different one every week and still barely tap the surface.  When you visit Holmes County, and the surrounding area, if you should find a cheese factory that doesn't have samples sitting out just ask for a sample.  They are happy to oblige.

Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com

New Scenery Added to Murder Mystery Weekend in Ohio

When guests book a murder mystery weekend in Ohio at Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast they often ask the same question of the innkeepers: "Where do we do the murder mystery?"
The owners are always looking for new props or scene setters to enhance the mystery.  On January 7, 2012 guests went to "New York's Little Italy" to feast on Italian food while solving a murder.  Each guest played a suspect.  Carol Steffey, one of the owners of the bed and breakfast, enjoys scouting out stores to find the right scenery.  After breakfast, Carol starts converting the Breakfast Room at the B&B in to the scene of the "murder".  When guests return in the evening to participate in the murder mystery the room has a whole different feel.  This Ohio bed and breakfast offers murder mystery weekends about month throughout the winter and spring months.  They can even set up a mystery weekend package for friends that want to take over the entire B&B.
Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com

Bed and Breakfast Inn of Ohio Shares Easy Appetizer Recipe

At our bed and breakfast Inn of Ohio we recently hosted a murder mystery with a Mediterranean theme.  We found a really delicious appetizer that kept with the theme and was easy to make.

Mediterranean Crescent Pinwheels
   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 lb. thin sliced ham
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. olive oil
6 T. chopped fresh basil

Divide the crescent rolls in to 4 rectangles and press the seams together.  Gently spread the rectangles to make them larger.  Place 3-4 slices of ham on each rectangle.
Meanwhile combine the feta, pepper, olive oil.  Sprinkle over the ham on each rectangle.
Top with chopped basil.
Start with the short side of the rectangles and roll up, pinching the end to seal.  Cut each roll in to 5 slices and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Bon Appetite!

Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com

Tantalizing Tastes & Tunes at Ohio Amish Country Getaway

The new year has arrived and in just a few months Mothers Day will be upon us.  An Ohio Amish Country getaway is offering some tantalizing tastes and tunes Mothers Day weekend.  Guests staying at Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast will indulge in one of the most gourmet dinners that they have ever experienced.  Master Chef, Kent Welsh, who has catered Emmy and Grammy awards, will prepare a meal that will tantalize your taste buds.  After dinner they will gather around the campfire at this Ohio bed and breakfast to hear some tunes.  This performance is no sing-along but a professional performance by acoustic, finger-style guitar artist, Bud Preston.  Preston has produced an original CD of songs that were inspired from Amish Country called 'Welcome'.  He is soon to publish a 2nd CD with songs inspired by the history of Ohio's Erie Canal.  There will be free time to take Mom around Amish Country on Saturday and do some shopping, wine tasting, or pick up a box of chocolates.
Written by Carol Steffey, Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg, Ohio (330) 674-7608 www.garden-gate.com