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The Weekly Newsletter |
Menus and Stories for October 13 - 17, 2008
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| My breakfast |
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Just because SOMEONE has to be "quality control babe," every so often I "test" the day's goods. Life can be rough, I admit.
Today Marty made these perfect little blueberry muffins and some delicious scones too. The other day I asked him to make bigger muffins and he's going to, but really, this IS the perfect size.
Fresh muffins and scones and other wonderful, easy breakfast things are ready by 8 six days a week. We say, "low key" breakfast because we leave you alone. Sit in our sunny morning cafe and enjoy yourself in peace. (Or bring a gang and make some noise. We'll have room for you either way.)
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This coffee is #1 |
Counter Culture is our house coffee, a blend created by them and me a long time ago. It is my personal favorite still. This is the company which took Adam, our cafe manager, to Nicaragua last winter to learn, first hand, about the process of growing, picking, and roasting coffee. They are a very conscientious company and we're very proud to serve their goods.
So imagine our delight when we opened this months' Saveur magazine and found their Karaba Coffee listed first in a list of that magazine's 9 favorite coffees. In the whole United States. Zounds!!!
We didn't have that particular variety but Adam hopped to it and it is here now. Isn't that great? It is from Rwanda and has been cultivated there for almost 100 years.
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Counter Culture |
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| New from Richard |
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Richard, creator of our Sweet Potato Salad, the oven-roasted Tomatoes, Mrs. Wilbur's Spiced Nuts, Grilled Avocados, and many other favorites, came up with this one this morning:
Spaghetti Squash Cakes. Just made Pear Chutney. Put 'em together on a plate. Toss a few spiced nuts on top and THAT, my friends, is even a better breakfast than mine was. I guess you could have one for lunch too, if you were so inclined. Say, that's a good idea, if I do say so myself.
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Dinners to go for this week |
| Dinners 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 (252-0200)or stop in to speak to one of us in person.
Dinners are ready at 4:30 and can be picked up until we close at 6:00 pm.
Monday October 13 Lemon Chicken with Peppers and Snow Peas 10.25
Tuesday October 14 Herbed Chicken and Dumplings 9.95
Wednesday October 15 Spinach-stuffed Beef Rolls 10.25
Thursday October 16 Golden Catfish with Remoulade Sauce 10.25
Friday October 17 Salt and Pepper Flounder with Baby Potatoes 12.50
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Our website |
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| Special casserole of the week |
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| 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, October 15
Lamb, Leek, and Butternut Squash Pie
Full: 39
Half: 19.50
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Richard and today |
All of the eggs in our daily quiche come from "The Egg Lady." She does have a real name, as does her farm, but it is awfully fun to look up from the desk and see her, stacks of last week's egg cartons piled in her arms, coming into the office with this week's invoice.
I love this regular connection to the farms. Even if I don't get out there, she comes in and that's almost as good. And her chicken's eggs make a heck of a quiche.
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| New Teas |
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Andrew is our new beverage fellow. He's also one of our party Captains, is the assistant manager in our cafe and, in case you ever need one, is a wizard when it comes to dog training. (He's like the dog whisperer but doesn't have his own tv show - yet.)
This is one of his new finds. Very good iced teas that are made with pure cane sugar. Most sodas are made with high fructose corn syrup which is a result of corn and chemicals. Now, I like a coke every once in a while and so do you, but this is REALLY good bottled tea and I recommend it.
We also have brewed iced tea that we make every day AND we frequently have a punch or a lemonade that is also made right here. The fruit is squeezed fresh for these in-house offerings. And if, like me, you find southern sweet tea too sweet, just mix it with some of our unsweetened.
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"Cheerwine in bottles!!!" |
Okay, that is a quote from Adam, cafe manager and North Carolina native. Cheerwine, for the uninitiated, is a true Southern treat, a North Carolina success story, even though it started with cherry syrup from a salesman from St. Louis. It's a great story about this little company (well, it's not so little anymore...) and we think it fits right in here.
Oh, it's also made with cane sugar.
That almost qualifies it as health food, wouldn't you say?
It tastes like cherries. Nice!
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Cheerwine |
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| A Note from Laurey |
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| October 11, 2008
Hiya,
Oh it's a spectacularly beautiful day here today. Austin, the days' early shopster, has opened our café windows and so, not only is the sun pouring through, but so are the day's breezes and fresh, fall air. Ni-ICE.
I've been feeling like the brides and pregnant mothers I've known in my life. I've known quite a few of both, and have shared office space with a number of them. Pretty much as soon as someone finds out she is pregnant or, earlier, engaged, the conversations usually turn to talk, only, of weddings and babies. I DO like being a part of their progressions - but there have been some, in prior years, who could talk of nothing else.
So it is with me these days. I talk, think, and breathe my ride. Ride. Ride. Ride. I'll calm down - well, maybe.
I have mailed out the first round of invitations to folks to join me on the fundraising side of the ride. I'm a good enough writer to do that part well, but I'm not schooled in the ways of data bases and the accompanying spreadsheet manipulations that make it possible to record addresses and turn them into mailing labels. But - aha! - my sister is! She came to my house the other night, quickly turned my brain jottings into charts and labels and then stayed for hours more, helping me organize, fold, gather, stuff and lick half of my mailing. That was a huge gift. We worked until I ran out of stamps.
Then the next day I dropped those off at the post office, bought more stamps, went home, and did a bunch more on my own. (It's more fun to have your sister there when you do something like this. Tye the pup, friendly though she is, is not good at folding. Spindling and mutilating are well within her purview, as is chasing pigeons, but those skills were not needed on this particular task.)
I've been thinking about making a video during and after the ride and had started looking into video cameras and little computers and such. And then, completely out of the blue, I got a note, just yesterday, from the "resident tech savvy gal" at OCNA (Ovarian Cancer National Alliance) one of my partners on this ride. Completely unsolicited she wrote to ask if I needed any information about video cameras. And if I was wondering about lightweight laptops. And oh, was I thinking about making a custom-printed cycling jersey?
Are you kidding me? This note came on my computer with absolutely NO actual inquiry from me. So, not wanting to ignore such clearly directed advice, I dragged my sister to the store and bought the video camera and part one is done. I really am still spinning about that, to tell you the truth.
My friend Judy pointed out that this whole ride is really a continuation of "The Golden Thread," which is how I talk about the path that, when I am in touch, guides me so clearly through this life. It is what led me to Asheville, so many years ago. It is what led me to this business, to this space, to this place in my life.
She's right. I've found it again.
If you want to know more abut my ride, I'll periodically remind you of the link to the blog. Turns out the Asheville newspaper is going to post a blog on their site too. Other things are in the works too. Whee! I'll try not to be too obnoxious about this, but I am thrilled. Thrilled.
Oh - one more thing: this month is breast cancer awareness month. (Last month was ovarian cancer awareness month.) And, though it still scares me every time, I had my yearly mammogram last week and it came back clear and so I can set that worry aside. Please make sure you do this too. Knowing is better than not.
I'll be in touch next week.
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Laurey Bikes |
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Sock twins! |
Okay - I admit, I love socks. Turns out I have three or four drawers of, yup, socks. These are one of my favorite pairs. What fun to see that little Henry has already started dressing like his office mates. (Well, his mother, Emily, has something to do with this, I guess.)
His "Cute-o-saurous" bib went right along with his outfit.
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