The Weekly Newsletter
Menus and Stories for December 17 - 22, 2007
Chocolate World

Yes it is definitely Chocolate time that is, if you are or if you know of one who is a chocolate lover.
Come see.

(We're pretty good at whipping up a basket for you in no time. If you have more time, we'll ponder with you. Packing and shipping is part of what we know how to do too.)

Peppermint Sweetness

I'm not sure why, but Christmas and mints go very well together. Here are some North Carolina goodies for you. If you've hung fat stockings, these will fit. If not, stick 'em under their pillows.

Logs from the south

Aunt Sally, maker of those YU-UMMY pralines, also makes pecan logs. (My old friend Carrie's family said "Stook-eys", but I always thought the roadside business should be pronounced "Stuck-ees"). Anyway - these are from New Orleans. And these WILL fit into a hung, waiting, sock.

Dinners to go

Dinners, as you know, come with a freshly-made green salad, salad dressing of the day, and made-right-here bread of the day. We take reservations until noon or so. Please order by phone (252-1500), by FAX (252-02002) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

As a reminder, every time you order a dinner to go you are eligible to enter our drawing. Just drop a card in our drawing jar (a business card works or fill out one of the cards that we have right here) and, at the end of the month, we'll pull one card which will be good for two free dinners-to-go.

Maybe you'll win next month.

Order a lot? Enter a lot!
Good luck!!

Here is this week's menu:

Monday December 17 Grilled Lime Cilantro Chicken 9.95
Tuesday December 18 Classic Meatloaf with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes 11.50
Wednesday December 19 Cranberry BBQ Spare Ribs 12.25
Thursday December 20 Coffee-grilled Flank Steak 11.95
Friday December 21 Grilled Seafood Kabobs with Wild Rice 14.75

Our website
Special casserole of the week

We make a special casserole each week, usually on Wednesday. Order before noon and we'll have yours ready to pick up between 4:30 and 6:00 that very afternoon. (Yes, you can order in advance too.) Order a full for 9 portions or, if your gang is smaller, opt for the half-sized one, which serves 4 or so.

Say, we'll happily make a salad and provide bread for you if you like, just let us know when you call and we'll get you all set up.

Wednesday, December 19
Chicken Chipotle Tortilla Pie
Whole: 34.25
Half: 17.25

Giacomo's Salamis

This is the meat we slice and serve in our Tuscan sandwiches. Adam discovered that we could get some for you, all ready to slice and serve. They are on display in the "Help Yourself" case up in the front of the shop, right above the cheeses. (Gee, you could make a whole cheese and salami snack. Why didn't I think of that?)

Lined up and waiting

I'm very fond of color. And I'm especially fond of a whole bunch of things all lined up in color order. The people at Lake Champlain seem to think the same thing. Here are some of their new package colors. How about getting one of each? Nice.

Bonbons

Lake Champlain makes hazelnut or raspberry "bonbons" and, you guessed it, we have some. They can be found right next to their Chocolate Coins which are near Margy's toffee and Lyne's honey. My what a lot of great tastes!

A Note From Laurey
 
December 12, 2007

Did you ever have one of those days? I’m having one. I have two hours of time and many more hours of stuff to do. Alas, they are not equal and that is just the way it is.

I feel the holiday frenzy, baskets and dinners and parties and visits and presents and plans and, oh yes, concerts and more plans and then some more visits. I find myself dreaming about the slow, dark winter. Soon. As we head toward the darkest night, the shortest day, I feel a pulse, an urge, a pull. To what? I’m not sure but it has me.

Yesterday I pulled out some ornaments and decorated a little tree I recently found. I have a big box of things that I’ve brought along with me for all of my years. I have a paper chain I made in first grade (!) This year I did not put everything on. For one thing, I have a tiny tree. And for another thing, this tree is sort of more of a gesture of the days. Chris is coming here today and I know she likes to decorate so we might do more once she gets settled in. And actually, the other part of the story is that tomorrow we are going to go away for a week because her brother is turning 50 and his birthday is now and, well, you celebrate this kind of birthday on the day, not at a more convenient time. He’s in Mexico already and we’ll go there tomorrow. Maybe when we come back we’ll do more decorating. Maybe not.

Right now it is very warm here. 70s. This does not feel right. I do see that it is going to be cold soon, and that will feel better. December is supposed to be cold. It is supposed to snow. It is supposed to feel wintry. I’ve been in shirtsleeves for weeks. It is sort of nice, but mostly it is scary and disturbing and, well, odd.

I’ll be back next week, in time to cook for the 15th year of a local architect’s Christmas party. That party, to me, always marks the season for me. I drive to the party in late afternoon light and, when I come home, the Christmas lights brighten my way. 15 or 16 years is a long time to know people, to cook for them, to watch them as they grow, change, build, have weddings, children, successes, troubles. This family, this firm, these people mean a lot to me and I’m glad I get to go to their home when I come back from this trip.

And in the interim, I hope it gets cold pretty soon around here. I hope you have a fun week, finding time to do everything that you want to do. Come visit the gang here. They know how to do everything. Much more than I do.

I’ll show you some pictures and tell you some stories next week.

For now…
Cheers,
Laurey

One more look

Our staff craft sale continues through this week. Here's one more glimpse of my latest ornaments. Remember when I was talking about making a new thing that came out just right? This clear ornament was the thing that made me so happy. Simple. Symmetrical. Oh so pleasing (to me.)

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