THE MORNING STAR B &B, LLC
617 Houston Street, Manhattan, KS 66502
[email protected]

House in Winter
Happy New Year! Happy 2012!
Greetings!

    Happy 2012! I hope that you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! With the holiday season now behind us, it is time to take down the Christmas lights and to start thinking about the new year. While many people use this time to embark on self-improvement projects along the lines of going on a diet or committing to an exercise program, I tend to focus on projects that have a creative aspect of some sort, i.e. I aim to create something. I haven't yet committed myself to a specific goal for this year, but I am considering trying to organize a wellness and pampering retreat at the B&B. My inspiration for this is that every time I think about going away to a yoga conference or some such thing, which almost invariably is someplace exotic, I find that taking into consideration the travel time and expense it winds up being too costly a proposition for me. I find myself wondering, "Why isn't there something closer?" - and I am guessing that other people do too. So I am tossing around the idea of putting together a weekend with yoga, tai chi, hiking/biking, massage sessions, and/or a cooking class at the B&B. That's as far as I've gotten in my thinking. Anyone interested? I'd love feedback on the idea. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this issue of The Update - the theme this month simply being here are some things that I recommend.
    On a completely different note, many of our regular guests will be traveling to Texas this week to see the Wildcats play in the Cotton Bowl. Have a great time folks! We'll be cheering the cats on from here in Manhattan.
Craig Wedren
Craig Wedren

    A few weeks before Christmas, Bill and I had the pleasure of having Craig Wedren stay with us at the B & B for a few days when he was in the area to give a concert at the Stiefel Theater in Salina. I wish that we had known about his work early enough to have made arrangements to have gone to the concert because after talking with Craig at breakfast I went on-line to hear some of his music and I really enjoyed it.  Craig is a singer-songwriter-musician who started out in punk rock but over the years has developed a unique, artistic sound featuring ethereal vocals. In addition to composing, recording and touring with his own material, Craig writes sound tracks for movies and television shows including the movie Wanderlust -starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Theroux- which is due out in theaters at the end of February. As impressive as that is, Bill and I were really struck by what a genuinely nice person Craig is.  One of the things that I appreciate about having the Bed & Breakfast is that it affords me these moments of meeting people that I am so glad to have had the opportunity to have met. By the way, hint, hint to whoever organizes concerts in this area - you should try to get Craig to perform in Manhattan! 
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Lentil Sloppy Joes

    Warming, healthful, and easy to prepare, this dish makes a perfect winter meal. Makes about 6 servings.


1 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped 
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped 
1 T. ground ancho chili powder 
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground chipotle
1/4 t. ground cumin
 
2 c. dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over 
1 28-oz. can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes 
1 1/2 c. water 
2 T. tamari/soy sauce 
1 T. prepared mustard 
2 T. dark brown sugar 

sandwich buns or baked potatoes for serving 

Saute onion, pepper and celery in olive oil until softened. Stir in chili powder, salt, chipotle, and cumin. Transfer the mixture to a 3.5-4 qt. slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until lentils are soft. Stir. Split buns or potatoes open to serve. Top with lentil mixture. Enjoy!
The Skull Mantra
The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison

     The first of Eliot Pattison's Inspector Shan Tao Yun novels, The Skull Mantra is a complicated mystery with thought-provoking characters. Shan Tao Yun was an inspector for the Chinese government charged with routing out corruption until one day he crossed the wrong politician and found himself in a remote labor camp. In this brutal place, he is befriended by Tibetan Buddhist monks who are fellow prisoners. When a headless corpse is found at one of the labor sites, the inspector's professional skills are needed to solve the mystery before an innocent monk is executed for the crime.
    This novel is interesting both for the mystery at its heart and also for the historical background material about relations between China and Tibet and  about Tibetan Buddhism. Though no longer in print, used copies of The Skull Mantra are easy to find. I'm looking forward to reading the follow up Shan Tao Yun novel - Water Touching Stone.
    As always, I hope that you have enjoyed this issue of The Morning Star Update!
 
Wishing you a wonderful new year,
 
Laurie Pieper
In This Issue
Craig Wedren
Lentil Sloppy Joes
The Skull Mantra
Personal Training
Klicks for Kids
Dates to Remember
Yoga Wheel Pose
Personal Training Available
    I'm excited to announce that starting in January personal training sessions will be available at The Morning Star. Choose from a 30 minute ($25) or 60 minute session ($40) emphasizing general fitness, strength training, cardio, yoga, or stretching (either active or passive). Trainers Sara Hillard  and Lauren Lundberg-Berryhill both have masters degrees in kinesiology and years of experience in personal training. I am delighted that they are willing to come to the Bed & Breakfast to offer their services to our guests.
    On the rare occasions that I travel, I always wind up at my destination feeling like I need to move around and get all of the kinks worked out of my body. It can be a challenge to keep up one's exercise routine away from home. Since, I myself work out with Sara and Lauren and know what talented and versatile trainers they are,  I think that our guests will really enjoy working with them too. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact The Morning Star. 
Klicks for Kids
Klicks for Kids
    Klicks for Kids is photography exhibit featuring images of the almost 900 children eligible for adoption out of foster care in the state of Kansas. The purposes of this exhibit are (1) to help eligible children currently in foster care find happy, safe, nurturing, permanent homes and also (2) to help raise awareness of the foster care needs that exists in this area. This important exhibit will be at the Manhattan Town Center from January 18th to February 1st. 
Simone Dinnerstein
Simone Dinnerstein
Dates to Remember
January 1st: First Day Hike, Tuttle Creek State Park
January 4th: KSU Women's Basketball v. Texas A & M
January 6th: K-State Football v. Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
January 7th: Tuttle Creek Eagle Day
January 7th: KSU Men's Basketbal v. Missouri
January 10th: KSU Men's Basketball v. Baylor
January 11th: KSU Women's Basketball v. Missouri
January 17th: KSU Women's Basketball v. Oklahoma

January 18th: KSU Men's Basketball v. Texas
January 19th: Young Frankenstein, McCain Auditorium
January 25th: KSU Women's Basketball v. Iowa State
January 26th: TALK Book Discussion "African American Perspectives", Manhattan Public Library
January 26th: Simone Dinnerstein, McCain Auditorium
January 28th: KSU Men's Basketball v. Oklahoma  
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