Katelyn's Documentary Project

         A morning at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast.

For my documentary project, I chose to document a typical morning at my parent's bed and breakfast located in Salisbury Mills, New York. There are ten rooms in total, with four more being renovated now. I documented the morning of Friday, April 18, 2014. with 6 guests in total. Breakfast was served at 9am in the dining room of the main house. My mom, Dena, cooked a three-course breakfast. My father, John makes a daily menu for each of the guests to enjoy and helps prep the meal!
My parents bought the bed and breakfast in October of 2012 from a couple who was retiring from the bed and breakfast business. It was something completely new our family. My dad retired and all my siblings and I had migrated to the east coast for college. Making the move from California, my parents came across a bed and breakfast and fell in love with the idea of owning one. Instead of starting fresh and opening their own, they bought The Caldwell House bed and breakfast. My dad being 100% Irish really liked the history that came with the house. The Caldwell family came over from Ireland and the main house of the bed and breakfast was the original house the family built. Along with the bed and breakfast, the house next door was for sale. We have three dogs and I'm one of five, so my parents got the house next door for us to live in, which is another one of the Caldwell family houses. There are a total number of 5 Caldwell properties. They had three houses, a carriage house, and a barn. Since my parents bought the bed and breakfast in 2012, we now own 4 out of the 5 properties. The carriage house came with the property of the bed and breakfast and is now renovated into 4 more rooms. The previous owners had lived in the bed and breakfast, their corders are now a new room and a living room for the guests to enjoy. The barn is under renovation now to add more rooms and cater to weddings, as my dad is now starting a wedding business through the bed and breakfast.

The table is set for the guests to arrive. Complimentary orange juice, coffee or tea awaits them!

Warm blueberry muffins await Andrew, Jessica, Brian, Priscilla, Roberts, and Loraine.

The table setting when the guests sit down to enjoy their meal looks as seen. Each guest gets a daily menu with their names, the food they will be enjoying, an Irish blessing, the weather for that day, and fun facts of what happened on that day in history! Guests really enjoy seeing their name personally written and knowing what they will be eating. Sometimes the facts of history are even conversation starters at the table!

Every morning, Dena gets to the best and breakfast at around 7:30. There is a lot of prep work to making such extravagant meals. Here she is checking the special Irish bacon she made as a side dish this morning.

 While Andrew, Jessica, Brian, Priscilla, Robert, and Loraine enjoyed their muffins and peach toast, my mom and I were putting the main course onto plates to serve. On April 18, my mom made Cheese Blintz Souffle with blueberry sauce and a side of Irish bacon and fresh fruit. 

The plates are ready to be served!

Andrew, Jessica, Brian, Priscilla, Robert, and Loraine engaged in conversation as they ate their meal. 

Andrew and Jessica enjoying their meal.

Candid shot Robert, Loraine, and Jessica enjoying their main course.

Loraine really enjoyed her Cheese Blintz with blueberry sauce. 

After everyone is done with their meal, the not so fun part of cleaning happens! Clearing off the table and loading everything into the dishwasher means the end of a great morning.

Once the table is cleared, left overs are put away, the dishwasher is loaded, and all other dishes are done; I got to enjoy my favorite Tropical green tea out of a Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast mug! :)