The Weekly Newsletter
Menus and Stories for July 28 - August 1, 2008

The first bag babes
No sooner had I put them in a basket and was heading up to the shop to put our new shopping bags on display than these two lovelies hopped over and, chortling, each picked one.  They are regulars (yay!) and didn't mind modeling their purchases.

We've decided that our new prize for our monthly dinner to go drawing will be one of these.  Just drop off a business card when you order one of our dinners to go and you might be the lucky winner of one of our fun bags.


Help for my bees
My bird bath is now transformed, in a way, into a bee bath.


Another drinking place
Though I put a nice dish of water right next to my bees' hives, they seem to prefer to share the dishes that are usually used by the dog and the cat and the birds.  Funny creatures.  The sad part was that I kept finding little floating bees, ones who had slipped into the deep end.  Feeling awful, I constructed a couple of islands for them and they seem to be doing much better, sunning themselves on their little rocky promontories. And no, the dog and the cat have not yet been stung by their new water dish friends.  I'm not sure about the birds.


Dinners to go for this week
Dinners, as you know, 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 (252-02002) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

As a reminder, every time you order a dinner to go you are eligible to enter our drawing. Just drop a card in our drawing jar (a business card works or fill out one of the cards that we have right here) and, at the end of the month, we'll pull one card which will be good for two free dinners-to-go.

Maybe you'll win next month.

Order a lot? Enter a lot!
Good luck!!

Here is this week's menu:

Monday    July 28        Brie and Almond-stuffed Chicken 10.25
Tuesday    July 29        Shrimp Scampi with Summer Risotto 14.25
Wednesday    July 30        Five-spice BBQ Flank Steak 11.25
Thursday    July 31        Crab Cakes – hooray!!  11.50
Friday   August 1   Elsie's Chicken Kabobs with Lemon and Israeli Couscous 11.75


Our website


Special casserole of the week
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, July 30
Eggplant, Zucchini, and Chevre Casserole
Full: 29.50
Half: 14.75


 


Sage
The next few pictures are just of plants.  Well, not JUST.  These plants fill the air at my home with sweet, fragrant aromas.  The other night my herbs became stars for a moment.  I'll tell you about it in my note.


Lavender too
These beauts line the wall by the drive.  When I get in my car and brush by them, I am covered by their beauty.  I'm reading a book about a woman who grew lavender.  I haven't gotten very far into it yet, but it is a soothing thing to read right before sleep.  I dream, filled with her stories and with the memory of my babies down there in front of my cabin.


Oh beauty
This hydrangea sits next to the shed.  It's its first full year and wow - it's making the very best of it, in my opinion.  Huge blossoms are abundant.  Nope, they have nothing to do with anything edible, but gosh, what a thing to see first thing up my driveway, don't you think?


A Note From Laurey
July 25, 2008

Cheers to you.  I write this from home and, uncharacteristically, on a Friday night.  Tomorrow I’m going to Chicago and won’t be home in time to get this note out to you in a timely fashion.  Bele Chere (a big street festival, for those of you who don’t live here) is going on and it blocks our shop so we’re closed tomorrow and I’ve accepted an invitation to go to dinner in the Windy City.  Whee! 

But I wanted to tell you about a very fun day I had this past Wednesday.  WNC Magazine came and spent the afternoon and evening with me, shooting a story for their fall issue.  This is a very very nice magazine and I was delighted to be asked to be in it.  The story is a market-to-table story.  The writer and the photographer and the stylist and the art director and the managing editor and a couple of other people all met me in the afternoon at my shop.  We strolled across the street and I “went shopping” while they took pictures.  I had planned a meal for some friends and had, truth be told, scoped things out ahead of time and had even asked a couple of folks to set some things aside for me – not wanting to have them run out before I got there.

Though the day had started in thick clouds and very grey light, by the time the group arrived, the sun was out, the sky was blue, the leaves were richly green.  All was good.  I loaded up three of my new shopping bags (they work VERY well!) and, gang following, went home.

There we set up the table on my deck, took pictures, arranged the groceries in my kitchen, took pictures, lit the grill, took pictures, prepped the food, took pictures, went to the garden to snip some herbs, took pictures, changed clothes (no pictures) and carried on.  The guests arrived right at 6:30.  I had set up a table with some hors d’oeuvres – accompanied by picture taking, and had arranged drinks.  We all stood around, chatting, sipping, nibbling and taking pictures.  Tye, my sweet dog, behaved admirably throughout, posing, greeting, keeping track of me, and smiling when the photographer asked her to.

I kept cooking, arranged the dinner buffet, put together a sample plate, finished cooking, finished the buffet, invited the guests in for a toast and gathered with them – and a few more pictures.  They made their way to the buffet with their plates, accompanied by the photographer (my plate was already arranged from the earlier picture) and came back for dinner. 

The back deck never looked more beautiful.  Sunset pinks bounced off puffy white clouds, the candles in the red votive holders glowed, and stray light scootched in and out among my tumblers.  At moments I stopped breathing, trying to take it all in, this beautiful evening with these sweet friends and this fun adventure in the world of magazines.

My friends and I forgot, finally, about the camera fellow, who snapped away as we ate and told stories.  And then, finished, we cleared the table and then came back for fresh Blueberry Shortcakes made with Elsie’s biscuits (thanks Marty!).  Everything we ate came from the local markets, all except for a few odd ingredients.  What a time.  What a night.

The gang left.  The photographer left.  My friends left (after they helped me put away the chairs and tables.) But my sister stayed and the two of us lazily washed my plates and glasses and odd utensils.  She rinsed.  I dried.  I put away.  She took care of the counters.  And then she left too.

Tye and I sat out on the front steps and watched the moonlight dance on the rosemary and the lavender plants and on the daisies and the zinnias.  Near teh bird bath, lights twinkles.  It was a fine, fine day and a perfect evening too.

I’ll let you know when the story comes out.

And I’ll tell you about Chicago next week.

Until then –

Cheers!

Laurey

 


Staying balanced
I dropped one of these on my leg the other day as I was installing this arrangement. 

My shin is just now healing, which means that during the day I can look down and think of these stacks in my back yard.  They're not as precarious as they look - they've now been perching for a couple of weeks.  Sweet, yes?

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