This year's Thanksgiving dinner-to-go featuring favorite recipes of our staff.  If you don't feel like cooking, this is the perfect alternative.

 

Here’s the menu:

 

Thanksgiving at Laurey’s – 2010:

A Menu of Staff Favorites

 

Kentucky Beer Cheese

Irvegg’s Mexican “Romeritos:”

(with Shrimp, Mole and Rosemary)

 

Sage-roasted Turkey

With Martha’s Mushroom Gravy

 

Brendan’s Oyster Stuffing

 

Laurey’s Cranberry Chutney

 

Anne’s Grandma’s

Butternut Squash Casserole

With Cream Cheese and Onions

 

Marty’s Favorite Baked Apple Gratin

 

Andrew’s Favorite Green Bean Casserole

 

Emily’s Favorite Big Fluffy Yeast Rolls

 

Laurey’s Blackberry Jam

 

Noel’s Sweet Potato Pie

Apple Pie

 

Price per person: $34.95

 

(It is also possible to

order just your favorite parts.)

Austin, one of our shopsters, has a mother who is a wizard at the knitting needles.  She came for a visit the other day with a bag full of all kinds of whimsical scarves.  We squealed like little kids, wrapped ourselves up in her bright colors, and pranced around, filled with the delight

 

Each month Martha goes through my library, hauls out books, reviews her notebooks, tries to predict the weather, and selects the dinners and casseroles for the following month.

 

Here are our dinners for this coming week. You might enjoy taking dinner home or to your favorite picnic spot or, heck, just to one of our tables. We'll reheat it for you even!

 

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.

 

Monday November 22

*Chicken and Green Chile Enchiladas 11.25

 

Tuesday November 23

Hickory Nut Gap Beef Bolognese with Parmesan 12.50

 

Wednesday November 24

Thanksgiving Dinner to go (see inside please)

 

Thursday November 25

We’re closed today enjoying time with our families

 

Friday November 26

We’re closed today too – see you on Monday

 

* 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 next week is for TUESDAY, November 23

 

(Note that, due to Thanksgiving Dinner to go,

this week’s casserole day is Tuesday)

Chicken Pot Pie

Full: 34.50  Half: 17.25

 

 

 

We sell our special cranberry chutney each year and send a portion of the proceeds to Jubilee, a local spiritual community.  Jubilee turns the funds into clothing or home heating oil or whatever its community's members need.

 

My sisters and I were normal, meaning we were three girls who had bouts of annoying back and forth in the back seat of the car.  My father actually did stop one time when we ignored him one time too much.  Out we went, right onto the side of the road.  Horrified, we watched him drive off.  When he came back it was a huge relief and, to me, quite a surprise.

 

We have a some new menus, making it really easy for you to plan your holiday party right here in our Garden Room.  We'll have the brochures out, ready for you to study.  The prices on these offerings includes just about everything you'd want.

 

 

November 20, 2010

 

And whoosh, just like that, it is time for Thanksgiving. Everything in the stores is fully loaded up for the big dinner. Asheville, too, is fully loaded, crowded already with family members home early for the holiday. Whoosh, travel time is on!

 

I felt it catching up with me earlier this week. It’s hard to avoid, after all, but when the weather is mild, it’s hard to remember that it IS November, not to mention almost Thanksgiving.

 

My sister, as I think I’ve mentioned, celebrates on Saturday. All her friends go to their family’s homes on Thursday, the way most families do. And then, on Saturday they all gather again with her, with us. This, then, is what feels normal to me.

 

So that means I get to work here on Wednesday, greeting all of you who stop by to say hello or to pick up dinners for your Thursday celebration. I will get home at a reasonable time, I trust, and will take my pup for a walk, go to bed early, get up early, and drive to my sister’s home on Thursday. Very few people are on the road on Thursday morning, which is fine. My pup and I keep each other company. I sing. She sleeps. Perfect.

 

On Friday my sister has plans to paint a large quilt for her barn. She likes enlisting friends and neighbors and so it’ll probably be a fun gathering. In between painting we’ll do some cooking. I’m the chief baker this year as our other sister will be working at The Biltmore Estate and won’t get to us until late Friday at the earliest.

 

On Saturday we’ll get up early and do everything that almost everyone else did on Thursday. No matter, it’s the way we do it and it will be a joy to cook with my sister(s). Sunday is a holiday for me too. Tye and I might take a long walk in the Kentucky farmland. We’ll probably eat turkey sandwiches and turkey soup. We might drive back here in the afternoon.

 

And then, for me, it will really feel like time to get ready for Christmas. I try really hard not to think about all that until Thanksgiving is over. It gets harder and harder. But I will persist. I’ll be happy about December, but not quite yet.

 

Today here is a beautiful day so I am going to send this out to you. Come say hello this week if you’re in the neighborhood. Brendan and Martha and Deb and Lito and Rolando and Adam are making some fabulously delicious foods. Easy comfort food.

 

And if you don’t get a chance, well, happy Thanksgiving to you.

 

My sweet friend Deb came to my cooking class the other night.  She had on light khaki pants, like mine.  She had on a black vest - like mine. (Actually mine was a hand-me-down from her.)  She had on black clogs - as did I.  And the piece de resistance?  Almost matching socks.

 

Sweet.