Roz Savage is an ocean rower. She is the first woman to row, solo, across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And she's getting ready to row across the Indian Ocean. (How about THAT?!)

 

Best of all, she's coming to Asheville!

 

On Wednesday, September 8 she will be speaking and reading at Malaprops (7 pm). And on Thursday, September 9th, she'll be here. We're making a special dinner in her honor and are getting the projectors ready to show the film of her Atlantic Crossing.

 

This is an amazing opportunity to meet a real true adventurer. SHE delivered a TED talk in the Galapagos recently - all about global warming and ocean pollution. She's working to make big changes in our world and I'm thrilled she's coming to share her ideas with us. Please plan to come join us and help her raise the funds she'll need to accomplish this next row.

 

Connor is one of our shopsters and, like everyone here, she does many things.  Here's an example of her illustration gifts.  The list is changed regularly to reflect the farmers who are currently supplying us. 

 

I'm in a real yogurt and fruit and granola kick.  We make the granola here.  The fruit is fresh and reflective of the season.  And, up until this week, we had only plain yogurt. 

 

Here are our dinners for this coming week.

 

Order by noon and we'll have your dinner ready to pick up by 3. We are open until 8 now which makes it easy for you to dawdle if you like. Feel free to stay right here with us if you like. We'll reheat your meal and stay out of your way.

 

Monday, August 30

Greek Chicken with Lemon Orzo 11.25

 

Tuesday,August 31

Roast Pork with Homemade Gingered Applesauce 12.75

 

Wednesday September 1

Classic Chicken Marsala with Buttered Noodles 11.50

 

Thursday, September 2

Beer Battered Fish and Chips 11.50

 

Friday, September 3

Chicken and Dumplings 11.00

 

* these are gluten free

 

(though it is important to know that

We make a special casserole each week.

 

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.)

 

Please order by phone (252-1500) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

 

The casserole for the next week is:

 

Wednesday, September 1

Creamy Risotto with Butternut Squash and Fresh Sage

Full: 32  Half: 16

 

We make Lasagna every Friday. Here is the next offering.

 

Friday, September 3

Eggplant, Basil, and Local Tomato Marinara

Full: 38  Half: 19

 

 

My sisters and I visited Wood's Apple Mill awhile ago.  It is a lovely farm, tucked in the forest of Southern Vermont.  I'm delighted to offer you some of their wonderfully simple and amazingly delicious products.

 

When I was on my cross country bike ride last year I became friends with Peggy who lives next door to this apple farm.  She insisted I try their cider syrup.  I did.  She was right.  I love it.

 

I suspect you will too.

 

The folks at Spinning Spider Creamery turn their goats' milk into cheeses of all kinds.  At the start, Chris and her three little boys stayed home and, in between schoolwork, made goat cheese.

 

I spent a couple of days last week learning how to cook on camera - without an interviewer.  I've been interviewed a lot, and have done a lot of cooking sessions WITH someone to interact with.  But it's a whole different thing to keep up the patter, teach something, and, oh yeah, actually finish on time and with a presentable item.

 

My coach and I worked through three recipes.  We started at 8:30 in the morning and finished at 6:00. 

 

August 28, 2010

 

Hiya.

 

Here’s a cool little bit of trivia: This August has five Sundays, five Mondays and five Tuesdays. My sister sent me a note about this, adding that the next time this happens will not be for another 832 years (or something like that.) So appreciate the beginning of this next week, the end of this month. It could very well be special in other ways too.

 

I seem to be on a whirlwind of life right now. It’s fun and, so far, has been manageable. Tomorrow is the TEDxAsheville talk. I’ve been thinking about my talk for some time. I even learned how to use Power Point for my presentation (go me!) But it didn’t really grab and shake me until I spent those days with the media trainer. She has college-aged children who were incredibly impressed that someone they knew was giving a TED talk. They made such a big deal about it that I ended up giving them the talk (minus the Power Point) and went to sleep that night feeling excited in a new way too.

 

Last night I hosted a group of folks who had purchased a dinner with me as an auction item last year. They had, SURPRISE, a dinner all about bees and honey. And earlier this week we had a Dinner and Conversation here in the shop, all about, you guessed it, honey! The TED talk is about bees. I’m cooking a dinner on Tuesday – all about honey. I’m cooking a dinner on Wednesday. I have a presentation to give at a conference in Pasadena in November, a talk in Charleston in January, and possibly a seminar in Las Vegas in February. All about honey. On it goes.

 

Next week I get to cook for a 75th birthday party and then I get to go to a wedding (I usually work them, but this time I am a guest). Then Roz comes for a couple of days and then I go to Italy for a week with my sisters. Zoom zoom.

 

In the meantime I look at my bees and wonder if I am doing the right thing with them. On Monday I am going to give them a thorough visit and a complete top to bottom inspection. My mentor coaches me, saying that if I don’t KNOW them in this way I am an “accidental beekeeper.” So, hard as it still is to summon the courage it still takes to go to the bottom of the hives, I am determined to be an intentional, not an accidental beekeeper. I mean, if I am going to continue on this bee road, I’ll feel much more credible if I actually HAVE a well-functioning apiary. Also, this inspection will help me know if I have enough honey to extract. I keep saying I’ll have honey but my first priority is making sure the bees have enough.

 

And in other news I’ve spent the bulk of my office time wringing my hands in frustration at my computer. Something is wrong with it and it is REALLY GETTING IN THE WAY of me doing my desk work. There, now I feel better having gotten that off my chest.

 

TED is sold out, but if you want to try to see the talks, they are being broadcast live in a few locations around town. But don’t worry. I’m sure they’re being taped and the videos will probably be available at a later date. I’ll let you know.

 

Right now I need to get ready for this afternoon’s festivities: a fancy wedding about an hour from here. The focus, in this case, is the bride and groom and local food. Whee!

 

(Don’t forget to reserve your spot for Roz. This is a very special opportunity.)

 

Henry is doing SO well!  He is now functioning with no medicine at all.  The last of the medical accouterments were removed last week and he is now just plain old living and being a boy.