Chris Mason's special cookbook of Michigan bed and breakfast recipes makes an especially significant keepsake of your time spent at the Parish House Inn in Ypsilanti, MI. With this recipe book, you will be able to share your breakfast experience with your family and friends anytime. It makes a thoughtful gift as well.

Tenth Anniversary - Best of Breakfast Menus & Recipes Cookbook

From the Innkeeper,

It seems like yesterday that in the Fall of 1993 I was about to complete my last full time semester at Washtenaw Community College. I only had a few more classes to take before I had earned my degree in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, and could finish them in the evenings. So while looking for job opportunities in the newspaper I spotted the ad for "Innkeeper wanted.."

So I answered the ad, was hired and moved in to become the full time manager. Just four years later, my husband and I decided to take the plunge and buy the Inn. We have never looked back, and hope to be here for several more years.

Over the years we have changed the Inn building, amenities, and policies to meet the wants and needs of our guests. The one thing that has remained constant, however, is our breakfast offerings. This cookbook brings you the best of my two cookbooks with some recipes revised and a few new ones added. I hope you will use this cookbook to prepare great tasting food for your family and friends, whether it is everyday or for a celebration.

Thank you for allowing me to do what I love and love what I do for you, our guests these past ten years. I look forward to seeing you again, sharing some of your life with mine and making it all worthwhile.

Chris Mason

Favorite Recipes; new recipes monthly...be sure to check back!

Parish House inn Granola

Yield: 6 cups

Use as a topping for fruit, mix or layer with yogurt or eat "as is".

3 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole almonds

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 -1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup cooking oil

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup snipped apricots

1/3 cup currants or dark raisins

Grease a 15X10 inch cookies sheet with sides. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl stir together oats,almonds, pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well.

In another mixing owl, stir together the brown sugar, honey, water , vanilla and oil. Add this to the oat mixture, stirring to cat well. Spread in the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour until browned and crisp, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Stir in the cherries, apricots and currants. Store in an airtight container

ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

Yield: 5 servings

A delicious way to use fresh asparagus and hard boiled eggs.

2 cups fresh asparagus, cut into pieces and cooked

4 eggs, hard cooked and sliced

1 cup, 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

1 to 3 tablespoons butter

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a 9X9 square baking pan, layer half the asparagus, eggs and cheese and dot with butter, repeat layers. Spoon soup evenly over layers. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on a plate and press one side of the biscuits into the seeds. Remove the casserole from the oven and arrange the biscuits seed side up over the top. Return to oven and bake an additional 18 - 20 minutes, or until biscuits are a deep golden brown. Serve hot .

Apricot Stuffed French Toast

Yield: 8 servings

Try this on a lazy Saturday or Sunday Morning.

Mix together 1/2 cup finely snipped apricots, 1/4 cup orange juice, 8 ounces cream cheese.

Cut egg bread into 16 3/4 inch thick slices. Spread the cream cheese mixture on 1 side of the bread, topping with another slice, forming sandwiches.

In a large bowl combine 2 cups milk, 1 cup half and half, 6 eggs, 5 tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons grated orange rind, teaspoon vanilla,and 1 teaspoon salt.

Dip the sandwiches in this mixture to completely coat.

In a skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown, adding more butter to the skillet as necessary.

In a heavy saucepan combine 1 - 18 ounce jar of apricot jam with 3/4 cup orange juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thoroughly combined and bubbly. Serve warm over the French Toast.