There’s something about enjoying a made-from-scratch breakfast at a Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast that often inspires the home chef in our guests. So we thought we’d post a list of some fun cooking classes around the state to get culinary juices flowing. Bekah Kates, an incredibly cute shop filled with wonderful kitchen and home items, is located in an 1886 building (the owners lovingly restored it themselves) right on the downtown square in Baraboo.  The list of cooking classes here ranges from farmers’ market dishes to Thai to fancy French desserts.  Stay at Inn at Wawanissee Point or Pinehaven B&B, both in Baraboo. At specialty shop Orange Tree Imports in Madison, a 35+ year mainstay on chic shopping boulevard Monroe Street, their list of chef instructors is very impressive.  And so is the list of B&Bs in the Madison metro area. The Savory Spoon Cooking School in Door County occupies a former village school house built in 1879.  It appropriately bills itself as “a place for people who are passionate about food,” given they’re a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.  This seasonal school is open June through October; take your pick of B&Bs up and down the Door County peninsula when you attend. Coquette Café in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward is famous for its authentic yet unassuming bistro fare you might find in the home kitchens of French grandmothers.  Their demonstration-style cooking classes are held Tuesday evenings, so sneak away midweek and stay at the Brumder Mansion B&B. If La Crosse is a favorite getaway destination for you, sign up for a cooking class at the People’s Food Co-op.  For accommodations, reserve a room at Four Gables B&B or Wilson Schoolhouse Inn. The list of classes at Dinner’s On in Altoona is temptingly eclectic.  We especially like that at the end of each class participants enjoy a full buffet, with plenty of time to discuss all the creations.  Stay at an Eau Claire area inn like Fanny Hill Victorian Inn or Otter Creek Inn. Now get cooking!   [caption id="attachment_730" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Fanny Hill Victorian Inn & Dinner Theatre has a tradition of entertaining and delighting guests for over 30 years. A locally-owned dinner theater, restaurant, banquet facility and nine-room inn, Fanny Hill has a way of making guests feel welcome every time. Summer is the time to enjoy the manicured property with astonishing flower gardens and to catch the deck entertainment.[/caption]  

Like you didn’t know this already, but we Wisconsinites take our sports devotion quite seriously. In fact, who’s to say we didn’t invent the tailgate party here?  Now that the Badgers are Rose Bowl-bound, and the Packers remain undefeated, we thought it was only fitting that we honor the B&Bs that serve fans for home games. In Madison, there are a half-dozen inns to choose from, including the Arbor House, an Environmental Inn located just across the street from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.  Arbor House is a 2011 Madison Magazine “Best of Madison” award winner.  Just off the Capitol Square is the Hotel Ruby Marie, built in 1873 during the heyday of the booming railroad era.  Not only is breakfast included, but so is a nightly happy hour. In Green Bay, the Astor House B&B offers romantic accommodations perfect for Packer-loving fans.  Just to the south of Green Bay, in De Pere, is the family-friendly Sabamba Alpaca Ranch Bed and Breakfast, where you can enjoy some together time "on the ranch" enjoying the alpacas and gazing at the stars on a clear country evening. Their alpaca products , by the way, are incredible and may be purchased online.  Also in De Pere is Joannes B&B.  This red brick inn is located in the community’s historic district. And here’s the clincher for Packers fans, taken from the inn’s web site: From 1923 until 1946 the Joannes Family resided in the home. Leland H. Joannes was among the Green Bay Packer "Hungry Five." With others he helped keep the Green Bay Packers franchise in operation during the early years. Joannes was the president of the Green Bay Packers for 17 years through the Great Depression, near bankruptcy and a stock sale. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Joannes B&B in DePere, just south of Green Bay. Home to former Green Bay Packers President."][/caption]