The Weekly Newsletter
Menus and Stories for December 6 - 11, 2004

"Brrrton and Bentley"
Aren't these just the most adorable? Filled with pure, 100% Vermont Maple Syrup, they are, truly, the cutest things I've ever seen.

Bentley, the fellow who looks like a snowman, won the Fancy Food Show's #1 packaging award last year. (That is in a contest with thousands of other entries, mind you.) He's inspired by "Snowflake Bentley", a gent from Vermont who figured out how to photograph the first snowflakes, and who proved that there really are no two alike.

Brrrton, with the cute little hand knit hat, was inspired by last year's incredibly cold temperatures in my home state.

We just displayed them yesterday and immediately sold 4. Just like that. (You might want to come and pick up a couple while we still have them.)


Gift Baskets
Yup. It is time. Well, just about, that is.

We now have small gift baskets all made, ready to go for those gifts-in-a-hurry times. Of course we'll make special ones for you, too. Send 'em a "Southern Sampler" featuring our own preserves, locally-made pickles, cookies and tastes of the south. How about a basket chock full of Chocolate? We have LOTS to choose from. "Coffee Lover's Treat" is another possibility, and so is a "Don't Postpone Joy" which features our favorite motto.

If you prefer, come pick up a basket and fill it yourself from our shelves. We'll tuck it all in and make it festive and, yes, send it (if you wish.)

Oh yes, we're happy to include a gift certificate or a signed Blueberry Hill cookbook. Just let us know.


Our new website
I never would have guessed that a website would take so long to do. We started thinking about a new look almost a year ago, batting thoughts around and meeting with a web fellow in the spring. Then it was up to me, since I had decided that a hand-drawn site would reflect our hand made food. It seemed to take FOREVER, but I finally finished. Then it was up to the web fellow, who worked and worked and, in the middle of it all, fell in love and got carried away (literally and figuratively) and then, finally, HE was done and then it was up to me again. But then MY life caught up with me and, as you have been reading, I spent some time taking care of my own life, celebrating my own discovery of love and such wonderful things.

The web site waited.

I finally got back to the site, did some editing, did some tweaking, and sent it back to the lap of the web fellow. Oh my. You know, I guess, how these things go. In a way, it's all "virtual" but in actuality, it is very real and it just takes a long time to "build" a new structure.

But I think it is done. It might not be quite perfect yet, but any new creation needs, and gets, tweaking once it is done, right? So do take a look and let me know what you think. (If you find any glaring errors, typos, etc. please let me know and I'll get right to them.)

Whew!

P.S. If you happened to write a note to us but did not hear back, we're very sorry. Please do try again. The "Glitches" got the better of us for a while there. We were not purposely ignoring you. Honest.

Laurey's Catering and Gourmet to Go


The nightly dinners for the week (Call 252-1500 to order)
Dinners-to-go are available Monday through Friday.

Here's how it works:
Just call us in the morning and we'll take your order for that night's meal. Then come back between 4:30 and 6:00 to pick up your dinner - all ready in a heatable container. Simple, yes?

Monday December 6 Chicken Milanese with Avocado Salad 9.75
Tuesday December 7 Tuna Steaks stuffed with Sage and Goat Cheese 12.25
Wednesday December 8 Grilled Flank Steak with Winter Vegetables 11.50 **
Thursday December 9 Swedish Meatballs with Dilled Noodles 10.25
Friday December 10 Mediterranean Shrimp Linguine 11.25

** this means low carb. Still delicious, you know.


The Casserole of the Week
Casseroles are made each Wednesday.
Call to order on Tuesday if you can.
Orders will be ready on Wednesday between 4:30 and 6:00.

Order a full pan for 9 (or so) or a half pan for 4 or 5.

(Say - now is the perfect time to stock up for the soon-to-be-houseful. These all freeze perfectly!)

Wednesday, December 8
Roast Beef Pot Pie
Full 38.75
Half 14.50


Chocolate from Vermont
Lake Champlain has done it again. MY they do have lovely packaging, don't they?

Pictured here are some of their chocolate coins in fresh, clear boxes with bright ribbons. We also have their assorted Truffles, and, new this year, rustic Christmas Trees (also filled with truffles.)

Got a Chocolate-fancier on your list? I recommend these!


Delicious Expeditions to Tuscany May 6-15, 2005
Here's a thought for you. As you may know, we have another small offshoot of a business here. Called "Delicious Expeditions," we lead small-group culinary excursions to interesting, and delicious, destinations - mostly abroad. We have two trips this spring, both to Tuscany. The first seems to be full, but the second one, which is from May 6-15, does have space still.

Care to know more? Give us a call and we'll send you information "immediatemente!"


Butterfield's Candies
Made just over the mountain - well, sort of OFF the mountain and down in the flat lands to the East - we now have these sweet and unusual morsels for you.

Peach Buds are old-fashioned, bursting with southern summer flavor. We also have Peppermint buds and Peach Bark. Wow.


A Note from Laurey
December 4, 2004

It�s been nice and frosty around here. This morning, walking with my sweet pup around the lake, flocks of Canada Geese took off and landed, took off and landed, honking and sputtering in grand form. Three or four �vees� formed, swooped up right over our heads, circled over the dam, and then touched down once again. Tye stared, quivering, curious. As we head toward the darkest days of the year I am finding myself overtaken by the wish to just stay in front of a fire at home. The geese seemed confused too. Shall we fly south? Shall we stay here? Shall we just tuck ourselves in a take another nap?

The Christmas tree fellow on the corner near my house is all set up and ready to sell. No one has bought a tree yet, it appears. I like to find the scrawniest one, take it home, and fill it with light and tiny glass ornaments. My family tradition, in my Vermont childhood, was to snowshoe out to the frozen beaver dam up by The Middleton�s house: me and my two sisters tromping along after my father, who carried the axe. Our tree excursion never happened until Christmas Eve day. My sister Heather, telling stories this past week at our Thanksgiving gathering, pointed out that when SHE was little, she�d go to sleep to a plain tree and wake up to find it fully decorated. I don�t remember that. By the time I came along the tradition had changed.

That�s what happens with tradition.

Last night I made my annual drive through the neighbor�s decorated yard near my house. I brought Chris this time. At the entrance to the driveway, visitors are asked to sign the guestbook so I sent Chris off to do so and then we drove, creeping, through the decorations: dancing deer, bouncing Santas, flickering snowmen and such. A motorcycle and a midget racing car sit on the lawn, all sparkling and twinkling. And finally, at the end of the driveway, in the turnaround area, a real truck, all decorated, waited, blinking and flickering. Each year this yard is filled with more things, and each year I smile with amusement and pleasure at the display. (And where, I wonder, do they store all this stuff?)

Tonight is a Wreath Festival for a local animal welfare shelter. Lots of folks have contributed wreaths. Ours is almost done � filled with a paper chain made of Don�t Postpone Joy bumper stickers, cups, candies. The kitchen is making hors d�oeuvres all shaped like wreaths. Christmas time is coming.

And speaking of lunch and winter and such things: our kitchen folks have been very inventive lately. Richard�s newest creation is the perfect comfort lunch: Potato Cakes with Sour Cream and Apple and Onion Chutney. These are not the traditional Latkes, though we make them too � but are more like hearty pats of potatoes. One will keep you warm for the rest of the afternoon, or you might want to take some home to heat up for dinner in front of your own fireplace. The soups are great these days too and everyone is enjoying the daily hot lunch specials: Chicken Pot Pie, Hot Roast Beef, Chili.

Enjoy shopping and getting into the holiday spirit � whatever holiday you celebrate.


Oy!
Lest we forget - this week will mark the beginning of the Festival of Lights: Channukah.

We have these fun little packs of gum right by the cash register. As the box says, "Would it kill you to buy two?"


Contact Info:
Laurey@laureysyum.com
828-252-1500

67 Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801

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