It has been a huge week for this sweet boy.  After a very frightening start to the week, it looks like the bone marrow transplant is finally beginning to work!!!!  This is gigantic.  It is the beginning of his return to health and a normal childhood.  Hooray!

 

Tomorrow (Sunday) we are going to have a gigantic pancake feast, all the proceeds of which will go to defraying some of the costs the family has amassed while treating little Henry for his immune deficiency disorder. There is an awful lot that insurance does not cover.  Come between 9 and 1 to be a part of the celebration. 

 

And, on Wednesday, 11/11, we'll be contributing 11% of our sales to the family along with a growing number of local businesses.

 

Here's our menu for Thanksgiving Dinner to go for this year. We'll be making the whole meal for you to pick up on Wednesday. (Don't worry, we'll include instructions.)

 

Please order before Monday, November 23 if you can.) Order for one or for 40. And yes, you can get just parts of the meal if you wish, though don't you think it'd be fun to have us make the whole thing?

 

 

Here's the menu:

 

Thanksgiving 2009

 

 

At the start:

 

Smoked Trout Pate

with Roasted Garlic Crostini

 

**

 

The Dinner:

 

Oven-roasted Turkey with Fresh, local Herbs

 

North Carolina Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

 

 

Cornbread Stuffing with Hickory Nut Gap Apples

 

North Carolina Sweet Potato Wedges with a Sorghum Glaze

 

Brendan’s Southern-style Green Beans with Bacon

 

Laurey’s Jubilee! Chutney

 

Soft Rolls made with YellowBranch Farmstead Cheese

 

**

 

The Sweet Finish:

Traditional Pumpkin or Apple Crumb Pie

 

 

Price per person: 29.95 + NC State tax

 

 

Call us!

 

Chilly weather makes me turn to hot chocolate.  Last week, in Washington at the Dupont Circle farmer's market a vendor was doing a bang-up business in the steamy stuff.  Mine was gone before he'd given me my change.

 

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.

 

Monday November 9 Brie and Almond-stuffed Chicken 11.00

Tuesday November 10 Chickpea Cakes, Gingered Carrots, and Couscous 10.75

Wednesday November 11 Fettuccine w/ Braised Chicken, Mushrooms and Radicchio 12.50

Thursday November 12 Honey-mustard Stuffed Pork Tenderloin 14.75

We make a special casserole each Wednesday.

 

Order by noon or so. Order a half if you have around 4 folks. If you have a bigger group, or you just like leftovers, order a full-sized one.

 

Then come pick up between 3:00 and 8:00. (Or bring a gang and enjoy your dinner right here. WE DO have beer and wine by the glass, you know.)

 

Wednesday, November 11

Ground Sirloin with Eggplant Moussaka

Full: 45

Yes of course we do party trays.  We have a fabulous assortment of regional, artisanal cheeses and can arrange them for you.  How about Roasted Fall Vegetables?  Chicken Wings?  Fresh Fruit?  Or, as you see here, our Italian Antipasto platter.  We make or buy the very best things to put on these trays.

 

Give us a call to get the whole list.

 

I visited these folks on my way home from Washington last week.  Got a tour, a new t-shirt, a bag of chips still hot from cooking.  I found out that we were the very first business to order their chips by mail, making us one of their earliest customers.  I love these chips.  A lot. 

 

As things calm down a little bit it looks like I am going to get back to glassblowing before too long.  The local studios shut down in the summer and, in some cases, have not started back up.  Gas is expensive and, well, running a studio is expensive and so I have not had a place to practice.  I think I've found a spot so I should be headed back to the glory hole pretty soon.  I'll let you know.

 

 

November 7, 2009

 

Oh I had a fun time last week. I attended the national conference for the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. The food was great, cooked by our members. It’s our time to show off for each other and I am now feeling very much in need of a return to my 80 mile riding days. Things are feeling pretty snug around my waist and an austerity eating plan is in order.

 

I’m home, writing from my desk in the quiet. I spent today at an all day board meeting for the North Carolina Outward Bound School and when I got to my office at work I found myself sitting directly underneath the final area for the new roof that is being installed. They were drilling and screwing down 4x8 sheets of plywood right on top of me and I gave up after four or five attempts at clearing the fallen debris from my keyboard. Don’t get me wrong – I am thrilled that we’re getting a new roof. Anyone who has been in the café this summer knows how leaking the poor old thing had gotten. The new roof will be great. GREAT!

 

So it’s nice and quiet here. Tye is snoozing after her walk around the lake. Skipper is out. Laundry is going downstairs. I’m happy to be home. I had a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup (yes, I made it – starting with a chicken) and am winding down. One more load to dry and fold and then I’m going to bed. Early. Tomorrow will be a big day, with who knows how many people coming for pancakes and celebration. In the middle of the day today I got the word that the transplant, the “engraftment” is taking and that was an elating piece of news. I can’t wait to make pancakes and pancakes and pancakes. I bought two new griddles and some new display pieces for the bacon and sausage and I feel like it is Christmas Eve. I’m sad that Henry and Adam and Emily cannot be with us, but knowing that he is getting better is terrific.

 

If you are reading this on Saturday, and plan to come tomorrow, do bring a camera. I’d love to have lots of pictures to send to Adam and Emily. And if you know how to do streaming video, come early so you can get that going. It’s kind of beyond me, all that technology, but I’d love it if you wanted to be a part in that way.

 

So – have a fine week. I hope to see you on Sunday, or Wednesday, or, um, Tuesday for ukulele music or, well, any old day, for that matter.

 

The shopsters are more than cash register operators.  They do quite a bit of cooking, a lot of presenting of food, and a whole bunch else.