Cute as a Button times two!

Meet Ava Olivia and Chloe Kathleen Storm

Anxious to get home to see family and friends today but finding it difficult to leave Ava and Chloe born 4 weeks ago on 10/24/11 at 7:30 and 7:31 am.
Chloe is no longer wearing her ankel band. We all feel pretty safe that we can tell them apart now - she does have a little birth mark on her belly just in case we don't. A test will soon determine if they are identical.
What a joy to become grandparents of twins in our 60th year. Ava and Chloe will be introduced to their cousins, Keira, Austin and Addison and their Aunts and Uncles in December - their first trip over the river and through the woods to Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop's home in PA! Can't wait to have the family together.

I hear them crying now - must be time for another feeding.
I will shed some tears today just as Pop-Pop did a few weeks ago the morning he left!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! We do have so much to be thankful for!

Kennett Square Grown Dried Mushrooms

At The Mushroom Cap we strive to sell the freshest cultivated mushrooms - brought in from our family farm and from Phillips where most of the exotics are grown. When it comes to dried mushrooms we sell Kennett Square Grown Dried Mushrooms instead of purchasing dried mushrooms in bulk not knowing where they originated. We do purhase wild porcini, chanterelle, wood ear, morels, etc. because they are not readily available. We are now selling 1 oz. bags of shiitake, oyster and maitake. These make great gifts or a great pick-up for the traveler/tourist who wants to take some mushrooms home from Kennett Square, PA, Mushroom Capital of the World.

Do check out the link and see a picture of our dried oysters reconstituted and find a recipe for mushroom risotto. Not ever having to reconstitute dried mushrooms I had no idea how yummy they could look. You won't be disappointed with Kennett Square Grown Dried Mushrooms!

"The Mush-Room": 2011 Mushroom Festival

"The Mush-Room": 2011 Mushroom Festival

2011 Mushroom Festival

Kennett Square hosted another Mushroom Festival - the 26th annual on September 10th and 11th. It was a great event beginning with a parade on Friday night where the local fire companies, spearheaded by Kennett Fire Company No. 1, paid tribute to those who passed on

9 1 1. Iron Chef Jose Garces, Top Chef Kevin Sbraga and Master Chef Jennie Behm were our culinary celebrieites this year! Is that considered the triple crown in culinary? We think so. Over 220 of Rhonda's vendors spanned State Street from Willow to Lafayette. It did not rain throughout the event. I think the last time that happened may have been 5 or 6 years ago. Cannot say enough about the volunteers and their coordinator! Some of us (me and .....) eat, sleep and breathe the Mushroom Festival for close to 12 months of the year. We are proud of what we have accomplished by being an all volunteer organization (no payroll) and even more proud that the money raised is given back to the community! Three cheers for everyone who had anything at all to do with this year's festival!

Kennett Square, my home town is the place where my grandparents and my husband's grandparents lived side by side in apartments back in the 1920's in that building you can see on the right in the picture! Wow! That was some 90 years ago. Some things have changed, some things have not. Hooray for Kennett Square! For some of us it's just a lifetime of who we are!

Snack N Shrooms®

Was very excited to open the mail on Saturday morning to find a document from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Snack N Shrooms is now registered and listed under Seasoned Dried White Mushrooms Int. Cl 29 (U.S. Cl 46).

Summer 2011

A couple of weeks ago two of us went to the Fancy Food Show in Washington, DC. Our only regret was that we couldn't stay longer. We made a decision to purchase gourmet foods that pair well with mushrooms. We tell everyone to saute mushrooms in olive oil and garlic so why not have the olive oil and garlic on hand. There are some great recipes using sun-dried tomatoes and sweet red peppers. Anxious to get some of these new products in and share some great recipes.

We also found a White Wine Sauce and a Red Wine Sauce - already tried the White - sauteed portabella mushrooms in olive oil w/salt and pepper, mixed in leftover roasted chicken and the already heated white wine sauce and poured the mixture over rice. It was delicious, easy - can't wait to try the Red Wine Sauce! Will keep you posted. These new products will arrive at The Mushroom Cap soon!

Memorial Day, 2011

It was a great day in Kennett Square today. The annual Memorial Day Parade was just what everyone expected. I hope the visitors from New York City and Los Angeles enjoyed what our little town had to offer. As you can see our own Fun-gi participated.

A stop at The Mushroom Cap - one couple watched our video this morning before getting their spot to see the parade. The other couple stopped after the parade to take some mushrooms back home to NY with them. They wanted something they don't always get in the city - they purchased maitake and shiitake.

Another Memorial Day has come and gone. God Bless America!

Snack N Shrooms off to Georgia

In searching for foodies to evaluate my snacks - I connected with someone in Lawrenceville, GA. Just a few days later one bag of each flavor in my new packaging was sent off in the big brown truck. My first out-of-state wholesale customer placed an order! Wow - how exciting. In writing back and forth I discovered that the person I am dealing with has a product called "Shroom Zoom". It sounded so familiar because I purchased some through a spice company. Her products are shiitake seasonings. She is placing Snack N Shrooms and Shroom Zoom seasonings together in a market!

Mushrooms To Go

Mushrooms To Go - We often hear how frustrated folks are about parking in Kennett Square. I find it interesting that when there is no place to park - it must be a good sign.

We want to make buying mushrooms in downtown Kennett Square an easy task by offering curb side convenient service! Call ahead, place your order, let us know your expected time of arrival, park at 114 Scarlett Alley and we will deliver product to you.

Here is a list of a few items that are available at TheMushroom Cap:

White button mushrooms $2.75/lb.
White medium mushrooms $3.00/lb.
White large mushrooms $3.50/lb.
Portabella mushrooms $5.00/lb.
Baby Bella/Crimini mushrooms $4.00/lb.
Shiitake mushrooms $8.00/lb.
Oyster mushrooms $8.00/lb.
Maitake mushrooms $15.00/lb.
Portabella Chop Sauce $7.99
Roasted Portabella Pasta Sauce $8.00
Snack N Shrooms - Original, Low Salt, Hot or Garlic $6.75/1.5 oz.

Snack N Shrooms Powder - Mild, Hot or Garlic $12.99/2 oz.

Mushroom Mustard - Made w/Snack N Shooms Powder $6.49

Marinated mushrooms in jars - Mexican Jalapeno, Portabella, Garlic Italian, Sweet Italian, Italian, Old World and Pickled $5.49/12 oz.

Hope to hear from you soon!

New York International Gift Fair

On Sunday, January 30th a friend and I took a train ride from Wilmington, DE to Penn Station NY. Once there we got on a bus to the Javits Center where the New York International Gift Fair was being held. After checking our luggage and coats we were off on a two day shopping spree. Before going I searched the vendor list for those who had mushroom related items. I was surprised to find 9 names. It was close to 1 pm before we got started. Our first stop was the best. We found a table and toadstools set along with several other fun things for kids. As the day progressed we found mushroom Christmas ornaments, mushroom egg slicer (a great one) a mushroom brush along with some garden ornaments as well as some glass table top mushrooms. How about mushroom garden ornaments made out of volcanic ash? We ordered two of each size.

All in all the two days at the Fair proved to be successful. The best was to hear several vendors tell us how popular mushrooms have become! Music to my ears - I can remember walking from booth to booth asking for mushrooms and walk away disappointed.

Oops almost forgot to tell you - we took 4 bags of Snack N Shrooms with us - gave a taste to those who would try! Feedback was very positive.

Childhood memory - snow storm - card game - fun

There is a peacefullness outside tonight - one that brings back memories of living in Kennett Square, PA as a young girl. When there was a snow storm, my Mom and I would walk to my grandparent's home on S. Broad Street. It was so quiet - the world seemed quiet - not many cars out and about, if any at all. It was always after dinner when we would take our walk. Once inside we always sat at the kitchen table - it was not only used for dining but for playing cards too. That is where I learned to play a board game where we used pennies instead of chips - Royal Rummy or Tripoly. Great memories around that kitchen table!

It's the same table that many a holiday meal was served - those creamed mushrooms were the best!

My first wholesale Snack N Shroom customer

It is time to venture out beyond The Mushroom Cap with Snack N Shrooms. Snack N Shrooms were first introduced at Flickerwood Wine Cellars Tasting Room in 2009. Put them on your bar - see what happens! Folks came over to The Mushroom Cap that day wanting more. Wow - maybe these do have promise.

It all started here and there! Julie (Flickerwood owner) is the designer of our logo.

Tonight all four flavors of Snack N Shrooms are for sale at Flickerwood!

Thank you Flickerwood for being awesome neighbors, great merchants and bringing folks to town with groupons!

A visit to Philadelphia

A long awaited few days, an hour away from home, was great! We stayed in a quaint home on Waverly Street in Philly w/friends. Our weekend began Saturday morning with a drive up 95. Got to our destination, unpacked our things - and out the door we went on a 12 hour jaunt in the city. Lunch at a great Mexican restaurant, shopping, a stop at Rouge in Rittenhouse Square, dinner at a nice Italian restaurant - drinks at R2L - Restaurant at Liberty 2 on the 37th floor overlooking the city lights! It was a nice end to a great day in the city of Philadelphia!

While shopping I found some of the prettiest glass mushrooms in four different sizes - I've written to the company - hoping to purchase them for The Mushroom Cap. Will keep you posted!