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The Weekly Newsletter |
Menus and Stories for November 10 - 14, 2008
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| WOW!!!!!!!!!! |
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A month ago (give or take) a fellow showed up at the office door and politely suggested that, um, maybe my office could stand some, uh, reorganization. He's a reorganization guy and, after chatting with him and looking at his proposal, we agreed that I was ready. So last Sunday Emily and Noel and Noel's husband, George (who happens to also be Emily's father) and I came in and emptied everything out. On Monday Greg and a helper came in, put up all these shelves and that was that.
It took us about two days to put everything back (or throw things out). And this is how it all turned out. Greg Mosher. Closet Tailors. Oh my!!!!
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My treasures |
I tell people, when they ask, that my business started out with a red KitchenAid mixer and an Orange VW bus. My sisters gave me this mixer before I was even in business, knowing, more than I did, that my chatterings about wanting to cook professionally had some potential. Well, here's the mixer and, if you look behind it, you'll see my original license plate from my old vw van. My mother's books sit on this shelf along with a couple of other very important reminders for me. I LOVE this new office!
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| Brrrr!! |
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Most of my days end with hot chocolate - especially when the temperatures drop.
We've been receiving boxes and boxes of new products for our shop. Over the next few weeks I'll show you some of them. We have new baskets, new candy, new pickles, and all sorts of things that we have chosen just for you (okay - truth - we get the stuff WE like. We assume you'll like it too.)
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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 November 10 Lemon Thyme Chicken and Arugula Fusilli 9.95
Tuesday November 11 Greek Shrimp with Roasted Tomato Crepe 11.75
Wednesday November 12 Tilapia, Braised Greens, and Acorn Squash 11.75
Thursday November 13 Chicken and Spinach Tortellini with Vodka Sauce 10.25
Friday November 14 Elsie's Lamb Shish Kebabs on Rice Pilaf 13.75
(special fundraiser for "Laurey Bikes" - see below)
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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, November 12
Deep-dish Vegetable Tamale Pie
Full: 30.00
Half: 15.00
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Laurey Bikes - a Special Dinner Friday the 14th |
November 14 happens to be our 5th anniversary here in this space.
(Oh, and my half birthday.)
There is a slight possibility that you do not know that I am riding my bicycle across the United States next spring. (I've been talking about it a lot - I'm very excited.)
The ride is a fundraiser for ovarian cancer. I am a 20 year ovarian cancer survivor (yay!) and by talking about it I hope to bring attention to the fact that, though they are subtle, there are early warning signs. Early diagnosis can make a huge difference.
SO, the gang here has decided that they would like to do one fundraising event each month until the ride happens. In November we are going to do a special dinner and a portion of the proceeds will go toward my fundraising efforts.
November 14th is the date. My mother's Lamb Shish Kebobs will be the special dinner. A portion of the proceeds will get sent to the bank where it will get added to the money that I am collecting for my beneficiaries. What else can I say except to sing the praises of the gang here. They are so thoughtful and sweet. Life is very, very good.
And did I happen to mention that I am very happy to be alive.
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Laurey Bikes |
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| Ya never know! |
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Last week, when I came in to start putting my office back together, Emily was skipping around, excited about an e-mail that had just come in. A producer from a Canadian tv company had written, saying that he thought my mother's books were some of the best in American cookbook writing (!!!) and he wondered if I'd like to be on his program. WOW!
We're now talking about how this all might work. The show is filmed in Vancouver. We might do 4 shows. I'd go up there and would cook and talk about my mother and me and food and love and life and all those things.
I'm still shaking my head in wonderment.
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De-LI-cious!! |
We have this funny little tradition here in the office. Whenever anyone goes anywhere they bring back salt water taffy. I've found it in Texas and in New Mexico and in California and in Seattle and in Atlanta. Oh and at the beach.
Well, THIS is GREAT taffy. (There's a lot of crummy taffy out there.) It's the real deal. From Atlantic City. Sparkling flavors. Really! We have a couple of other candy options from them too. They are, in our opinion, terrific.
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| A Note from Laurey |
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| November 8, 2008
Good morning!
I'm actually here at my desk and it IS still morning. We have a busy day underway but everyone who is here knows what they are doing and that means I get to do what I should be doing and that, to me, makes this a great day!
I'm a little sore today. I'm training for the big ride. The countdown is on. Four months. Oh my! I'm trying to get my head wrapped around the whole thing. Trying to figure out when I can ride. When I can do other things. What I need to do to get in shape enough to be comfortable riding all day every day for two months with one day of rest each week. I'm reading, asking, chipping away.
I'm getting a lot of support. This is NOT a singular event for me. I have major sponsors, minor sponsors, team members, beneficiaries. I have work out partners, trainers, helpers. I'm drawing in every single resource I can imagine. I am comforted by this approach. It seems to suit me. Talk about it a lot. Ask for help.
Earlier this week I was in a panic about not having enough time to ride. The time change is an inconvenience as far as afternoon riding goes. It is hard to work all day and then try to squeeze in a ride in the afternoon before the darkness sets in. Emily, here in the office, is watching out for me.
"Why don't you take Friday off?" she suggested. "It's going to be beautiful."
I gave a quick call to my Morganton riding buddy, who has actually done the very same cross country ride I am now training for, and arranged for a stretch ride - 50 miles. On the real ride I'll be going about 60 miles every day so it's nice to know that 50 miles is doable. I mean, I KNOW it is, I've ridden more than 100 miles in one day before - but not in some time.
Yesterday was a spectacularly beautiful day in Morganton. We rode out on rolling roads that circled tree farms, filled with seasonal color. We rode in short sleeves and I could feel my skin soaking in the sun, the warmth. The hills didn't seem too bad. The distance was not terribly daunting. As we rolled along I began to feel that I could do this ride in comfort and with great pleasure.
Taking this time on a work day was a great gift. I usually stick to my work plan, rarely leaving when I am supposed to be here. But things will have to carry on when I am gone and, no surprise, everything was fine here yesterday. There is a terrific team here: cooks, shopsters, office folk.
And now, today, I get to sit here and write a little note to you, happy to be sore from a workday jaunt, surrounded by a tidy office and a bustling kitchen. We celebrate our 5th year in this space on Friday with a special dinner which will benefit my ride. I like the connectedness of it all. Very much.
I'll be in touch next week.
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New glass |
I've been trying to learn a complicated "foot" for a bowl that, for the moment, resides in my imagination. My new assistant and I are getting closer to figuring out our choreography. We got very close on four attempts this past week. All of those pieces exploded (alas). It is HARD to do this! There is a brief window of opportunity to work the hot glass before it gets too cold to move.
When I get frustrated I sink into the ease of ornaments. I'm finally very good at them. Here's some of what I made the other day. This batch is light and pretty.
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