Ah the miracle boy.  On March 9th we celebrated the one year anniversary of Henry's bone marrow transplant.  The doctors say that at the one year mark it can be said that the transplant can be considered a success.

 

SO!

 

We had a parade! 

 

Of course Henry was given a few new firetrucks, a few new trucks of the not-fire persuasion, and a new table and some stools to go with it.  He also got a set of little FedEx trucks.  The day after the parade Emily got up and found Henry sitting on his new stool at his new table with all the firetrucks and FedEx trucks and construction trucks lined up.  He was methodically pushing the buttons of all the firetrucks, creating a sound explosion. 

 

The International Center for Poultry is conducting a Heritage Poultry Workshop here on March 19 from 9 until 3:30.  This will be a serious study of heritage breeds and is for "those interested in getting historical, heirloom breeds of chickens and turkeys back on our tables."

 

Here are our dinners for this coming week.

 

Monday, March 14

Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken 7.95 (GF)

 

Tuesday, March 15

Chickpea Cakes with Sesame Tabouleh 6.25

 

Wednesday, March 16

Local Lamb Meatballs with Marinara and Linguine 8.95

 

Thursday, March 17

St. Patrick’s Day!!! Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner 11.25

 

Friday, March 18

Spicy Shrimp Tostada with Guacamole + Tomatillo Salsa 9.95

 

Order by noon and we'll have your dinner ready to pick up by 3. Our new winter hours are in effect so we're now closing at 7.

 

Salad and bread are now a la carte (not included.) Let us know if you'd like to add them. Salad is 3.25 and bread is 1.25 per person.

 

We make a special casserole and a special lasagna 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 7:00.

 

The casserole this week is for Wednesday, March 16:

Chicken Risotto with Gremolata Sauce

Full: 38 Half: 19

 

The lasagna is for Friday, March 18:

Cremini Mushroom, Peppers, and Olive Lasagna

Full: 42 Half: 21

 

Okay, get this one on your calendars.  it's a ways off but I thought you'd like to share in my excitement.  After playing her first gig here just last summer, Jenna is taking the music scene by storm, touring with Catie Curtis and filling the air with her sweet tunes and loving chirps.

 

I've been getting lots of calls asking for a Knife Skills class.  I had planned to have the March class be about eggs but I think I'm going to switch it out and do a hands-on knife skills class.  You'll learn how to hold a knife, how to do basic cuts, how to be safe, and how to sharpen too.  And, just to keep everyone happy, we'll make an omelet with everything we've cut up.  How's that?

 

The class will start at 6 and will last until 8.  The class will cost 30.00 per person.  (I think we'll skip the wine on this one, as knives and wine aren't the best combo, know what I mean?)  Call 252-1500 to save your spots. 

 

March 12, 2011

 

Oh I am obsessed with Spring! I’ll freely admit it. I am attuned to the slightest changes in my yard, in my beehives, in the air, in the gardens. Here at work the little daffodils in our front planter are about to pop open. I think it’ll happen today, since it’s going to be warm here. This morning I heard new birds, saw new sprouts, felt a new pulse in my heart. Spring. Nearly. Nearly.

 

Last night we had a party here in the Café to celebrate the launch of a new book, Farm Fresh North Carolina, a go-to guide for places around the state that use farm fresh food. We’re in it and it was fun to see the café filled with farmers and food producers and the author and her publicist. I got a thrill in my gut watching this all happen. I am working on my book now and it was fun to imagine the party happening for IT – a good year from now at the very earliest, but still – its fun to dream.

 

Earlier in the day I’d been a speaker at a conference on food and faith. Lots of folks from faith communities are now turning sunny lawns into gardens, giving the bounty to food banks and needy people. I was part of a foursome talking about cooking and gardening with children and that was fun too, fun to share my little stories and reflect on how many children here are now getting to cook with a chef in their own schools. My tiny steps are expanding around here in a huge way and that is exciting too. In a little while this morning I’m off to teach again to the same group, but this time it is to demonstrate a class for children that I might do. I have my car loaded with bee equipment and will, as soon as I am done with this note, gather honey and pictures and bumper stickers (Don’t postpone Joy!) and will head off to our food bank to set up for my class. It’s all a big circle I’m traveling these days, guided by my bees, led by them, trying to do my bit to help them out.

 

Tonight, more honey, more bees, as I go to a gathering of local bee folks. Tomorrow is Bee School and I’m a bit player, being on hand to answer questions. Three years ago I was a questioner (well, I still am) so that’s fun to imagine that I now know enough to possibly help someone else. How ‘bout that?!

 

Monday is my day off and I am going to plant some peas and sing to my bees and organize my thoughts and refine, for the 3rd time, my book proposal. I need to test the recipes in my sample chapter and I need to gather some statistics and I need to quietly sit and read what I’ve written to see if it all makes sense. That’s hard to do here at work where the phone rings and friends visit and clients come for proposals and, well, it’s just too much. But speeding up and then slowing down and then getting caught up in the fray, well, it’s fun, AND it can be hard to let it all go and clear my mind enough to concentrate. But that’s the game of the day, so that’s what it shall be.

 

In the meantime people I love are in Hawaii and friends are in Japan and it is so frightening to think of them so far away and in possible danger. My little troubles fade to nothing as I think of how it would be if my neighborhood exploded or got washed away.

 

So I do what I can do, which is live here and try to tend my garden and try to give my bees what they need to live a healthy life. I try to make and serve real food from real people I know and I try to have a gathering space that nurtures and provides a place for celebrations of all kinds. Because we need to be sure to do that, celebrate, I mean.

 

I got to visit my my little neice and nephew last weekend for no particular reason other than to just be with thema dn my sisters and to give their parents a bit of a break.

 

Jones, 4 1/2 years old, is a wizard at Angry Birds, an iPhone game.  I, for instance, have achieved level 2.  Jones is at level 20!  Yikes!