Happy Thanksgiving - A good day indeed.

Have you ever had roasted brussels sprouts with roasted sweet potatoes? I cut up two medium sized sweet potatoes, placed them in a metal baking pan, seasoned with salt and pepper and a little olive oil and roasted them for about 45 minutes at 350. I added brussels sprouts and allowed them to roast along with the potatoes for another 20 to 30 minutes. This dish was delicious and great with our slow cooker roasting chicken. Didn't want to cook a big turkey just for the two of us. Couldn't have a meal without mushrooms so we sauted shiitakes in olive oil and garlic.
After all said and done I just had to make one of my recipes for wedding soup. Nothing like having fresh chicken broth to start with. Add some celery, carrots and onion, fresh cooked chicken, left over brown rice, some frozen chopped spinach, salt, pepper and voila - wedding soup - just no meatballs! I may add them tomorrow! We will share with family over the weekend.

This was a day alone without family or friends. Last minute change of plans kept us from spending Thanksgiving in MI with our daughter and son-in-law. We miss them and will visit another time. Our day started off with breakfast at Creekside Diner in Kennett Square. Wow did they have a crowd! From there we went to The Mushroom Cap and decorated the outside of the store with garland and lights to get ready for the annual Holiday parade and tree lighting which will take place on Sunday this year. Scott Hammond from Half Moon was putting up fresh greens on the front of his building today too. He yelled that it might have been better to have the tree lighting tomorrow instead of Sunday because rain is expected. It was held on Black Friday evening in the past. Maybe the rain will delay the event to First Friday! Yes! Can you tell I'm in favor of having this event on Black Friday?

While in town we noticed Jeff Yetter and his two sons moving display pieces that I donated for use at The Flash - http://www.kennettflash.org/. What an exciting live performance venue this will be! Be sure to check it out in January - be there.

Work all done and off we went to see the grandchildren before they were off to visit and enjoy the holiday with their other grandparents! We had a good day! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Together for Education

This week the 4th grade classes from Mary D Lang visited The Mushroom Cap on a field trip as part of Together for Education, a non-profit organization that is a catalyst for community involvement in education. Together for Education seeks to strengthen the partnership among parents, educators, students and the community through quality program development and communication. This field trip was to enhance the 4th grade PA Industries unit.
The students watched a video about the mushroom industry. They were also able to look through a "mushroom shaped" peep hole to see a man picking mushrooms. They learned that mushrooms were first discovered in Egypt, that spawn came from France and England and that PA produces 63% of the nation's crop of cultivated mushrooms. How about the shiitake log, the maitake log and the oyster log? All mushrooms do not grow alike. The students were given recipes to take home. The class received fresh mushrooms and instructions on how to make spore prints and were given the book by Sue Yocum, Let's To to a Pennsylvania Mushroom Farm.
Thank you Mrs. Wagner, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Desjardien for bringing your students to The Mushroom Cap and we all thank Mrs. Jen Augustine, Executive Director of Together for Education for coordinating the trip.

Richmond, VA Bus Tour and more!

What a beautiful Saturday in Southern Chester County for a group of men and women to visit from Richmond, VA. The Mushroom Cap was on their agenda after leaving Winterthur Museum. They had been to Simon Pierce and will go to Longwood Gardens before leaving for home. Great group of people. Most took advantage of our offer of making a purchase of $10 to receive a free 1 pound bag of button mushrooms. Interesting to find that the most popular item purchased was our "mushroom brush". Great little item for cleaning your mushrooms. One visitor purchased our "pickled mushrooms" because our label shows a martini glass with one olive and one mushroom on a toothpick. I asked if she had ever had a mushroom in her martini - who would have ever thought? All left happy - those who did not wish to purchase took a little jaunt over to the Half Moon - uh oh - bus is leaving in 5 minutes - go tell the others. After a short 45 minute stay in Kennett Square they were off to their hotel for dinner. They were warned not to leave their mushrooms on the bus - didn't want them to freeze - especially if they wanted to have them for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Yesterday a few mushroom food gifts were purchased by those visiting family for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Portabella, shiitake and maitake mushrooms will be on someones table in NJ. Visitors were in Kennett Square picking up their horse at New Bolton Center. Interesting - they were in earlier in the week when they brought the horse to New Bolton and knew they had to stop back for fresh mushrooms!

Jenny is going to Canada this week to visit family. Jenny works at The Mushroom Cap and put together a great gift for her Aunt who she has not seen in a long time. Porcini flavored linguini, roasted portabella pasta sauce, mushroom shaped chocolates, italian mushroom dip mix and a few other mushroom related items.

How about our one pound bag of mixed mushrooms? I did forget to mention that two on the bus tour did purchase these. We offer a mix of shiitake, oyster, crimini and enoki mushrooms. This is a great mix for soup or a saute. As a matter of fact we will be taking a variety mushrooms to MI for our Thanksgiving feast. Also a must to take a 3 lb. box of maitake for our friends from Thailand who we will see in MI. They taught us that the maitake mushroom keeps the ying and the yang right in our bodies - great for our immune systems. Be sure to eat your maitake today!

Talula's Table - Oh how wonderful!

Pemaquid Oysters, Cinderalla Pumpkin and Duck Consomme, Handkerchief Pasta with Wild Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts and Farmstead Parmesan, Wild Alaskan Halibut, Beef Short Rib "Chili" Tomato Fondue, Venison Tenderloin, Cocoa Roasted Beets, Honey Cap Mushrooms.........................................and the menu goes on! Yes, I was fortunate enough to experience the autumn tasting menu at Talula's Table with a group of friends on Thursday evening! A last minute cancellation, a phone call or two and voila we were there. Some of us first met at Flickerwood Wine Tasting Room at 116 W State Street to enjoy a glass of western PA wine. Everyone enjoyed - Did you know that you can have your dinner from Portabello's (across the street) delivered to this wine tasting room? Some have bought lunch at Talula's Table and walked down the street to this great new establishment. What a wonderful addition to Kennett Square! We now not only have BYOBs in town we have our own BYOF! Bring your own food!
Let's get back to dinner at Talula's - I will tell you that there were several items on the tasting menu that I had never had before. I enjoyed every last bite as did everyone in our party. Everyone would go back again to enjoy another season's tasting menu. The wait staff couldn't have been more accommodating. Bryan and Aimee served part of our meal. Knowing Bryan had just been on the Martha Stewart Show I asked him to tell us about that experience. If you saw the show his segment was longer than most. He and Martha got along well - Martha is Martha so you have to go along with the flow - it's her show. As a matter of fact Martha Stewart was scheduled to be at Talula's Table on Friday night a week ago but couldn't make it. Wonder when she will be there? Can I eat in the kitchen that night???? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!
Good food, good friends, great atmosphere - in downtown Kennett Square, PA, small town America at its best!

Flickerwood Wine Tasting and Sweet Christines Gluten Free Bakery

http://www.flickerwood.com/tasting_room.html
http://www.sweetchristinesglutenfree.com/bakery.html

Kennett Square welcomes two new businesses on West State Street. Flickerwood Wine Tasting Room and Sweet Christines Bakery had their ribbon cutting ceremonies last night just before our First Friday Art Stroll. These two shops are a wonderful additon to the downtown storescape.

The Mushroom Cap served Mushroom Chowder, Sweet Roasted Red Peppers and a Portabella and Sun-Dried Tomato tapenade with aged balsamic during the evening hours celebrating yet another First Friday Art Stroll. Tourists, friends and family were out and about enjoying downtown Kennett Square.

I prepared marinated white button mushrooms for Flickerwood's Grand Opening last night.

Recipe:
10 lbs. white button mushrooms (available at The Mushroom Cap @$2.75/lb.
1 bottle Garlic Expressions Classic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (available at The Mushroom Cap)

Wash mushrooms, cut off stems (you can save and make soup with)
Blanche mushrooms in water for 1 minute
Drain liquid and put mushrooms in glass bowl
Pour 1 bottle of Garlic Espression over mushrooms and refrigerate

Voila! Delicious Marinated Mushrooms!

Hope to see you soon!

Election Day

Interesting to have visitors from Mississippi on election day as well as from Bethesda, MD. Of course I had to ask if they had voted. All did before coming to Kennett Square! All were going to visit Longwood Gardens that day. We served Mushroom Chowder which all had a taste.

Our manequin's shirt reads: I already know more than the president

Just added a Mushroom Bag and Mushroom Playing Cards to our ebay store. Great gifts!