Welcome to the Bistro!

The last-of-the-season garden work is done. Bushes and small ornamental trees have been wrapped in netting to keep them protected from becoming deer food. All the garden statuary that could be moved into the barn has been. I still need to cover the two smaller fountains; a job that I’ll tackle in the next few days. Unfortunately my lawn is covered in a blanket of leaves that are not scheduled to be cleaned up until tomorrow. I sure hope that this covering of the white stuff will melt throughout today. Maddie and Sophie will be sad to see them go as they have a blast running through piles way higher than they are tall. I love to watch them get their ya-ya’s out and then come in and crash for the next few hours. I’m so lucky to have my buds; they always meet me, tails wagging, when I get home. It doesn’t matter if I’ve been gone 30 minutes or 5 hours I get the same joyful greeting. We are happy to roam the yard and woods or head to the Kensington trail. As I’ve mentioned before Sophia will hanker down in a full run to catch a deer until she realizes her energy expenditure is for naught. Then there is sweet Maddie who doesn’t care a bit about spending any energy chasing anything. She is content running around the yard being happy. Z and Kos are doing well and getting some good workouts in. They will transition to warmer blankets today, not because they are cold – the barn is warm enough with all the horse “heat,” but because their hair growth ramps up naturally when the temperatures fall.


In addition to the deer around my woods (a small buck just passed my window,) wild turkeys are prolific thanks to conservation programs instilled over the last decade. They are the most difficult of birds to hunt so their numbers keep growing. Only one in six hunters will fell a wild turkey. The average life span is three to four years unlike their domestic cousins who live, birth to freezer, 26 weeks. Domestic birds eat 75# of feed in their life, wild birds feed on seeds, nuts, insects and berries. And, they can fly. I can attest to that as I’ll see them perched in trees time to time.


 It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. For me Thanksgiving Day has always been the start of winter and the holiday season. The reminiscences of past holidays are dear. Grandmother made the pies until my sister Liz took over the duties. What pies they were. Pecan, sweet potato and pumpkin. All still warm from the oven and topped with real whipped cream. Mom was up at the crack of dawn preparing the bird for roasting. Dad made the dressing which included everything but the kitchen sink. Then too all the little appetizers: bar cheese stuffed celery, big black olives (a must have for sister Kitty), Aunt Betty’s pickled beets and deviled eggs. I was in charge of the mashed potatoes, roasted acorn squash and a green salad. We ate well for days afterwards too finishing up the leftovers. My favorite go-to was a turkey, cold dressing, cranberry sauce and mayo sandwich. A Thanksgiving slider of sorts. So good! For the past few years I only have a small group, all of whom could care less if there is a bird on the menu, so I’ll marinate salmon in red wine overnight, sear it and finish in the oven. It turns a gorgeous mahogany color, a fish coq-au-vin of sorts.


Today is the cut-off for ordering your Thanksgiving sides. Get your Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Gravy, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Maple Sweet Potatoes or Glazed Root Veggies from the Bistro. YUM!


The first observance of Thanksgiving in the United States took place on December 4, 1619 in Virginia. Thirty-eight English settlers had just arrived in the New Land, and their charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God. It was two years later, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that Thanksgiving took on the theme of a harvest festival. A harsh winter killed half the members of the colony the year before, but a good corn harvest the following fall encouraged the people to give thanks to God for the progress the colony was finally making.


So, in the spirit of the holiday I give thanks. Thanks that I am not homeless or hungry and have the ability to help those who are; appreciative for all the wonderful opportunities that I have been given over the years. I enthusiastically look forward to my next chapter.    And, of course,  more than thankful for my wonderful family, great circle of friends,  sweet pups and kind horses.

Sharon and Crew have some Wonderful Chalkboard Features per se.


Bistro Plates Include:
GRILLED SWORDFISH: Basted with Brown Butter and Served with Corn Fritters and a Flamed Vine Ripened Tomatoes and Herb Remoulade;


VEGGIE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH: Filled with Wild Rice, Sun-Dried Cranberries, Toasted Almonds, Mushrooms and Spinach and Finished with a Cranberry Mustard Drizzle;


PARMESAN BARRAMUNDI: Oven Roasted and Presented with a Rich Ragu of Grilled Eggplant, Roasted Red Peppers and Tomatoes Braised in Red Wine and last,


not least a POLISH PLATE of Locally Made Fresh and Smoked Kielbasa Braised with Sauerkraut, Beer and Onions Served With Buttery Spaetzli. YUM!!!


As a FYI the holiday reservations are filling up fast so if you’re planning on getting together at the Bistro make yours now. Also, please, please if the number in your party changes call and let us know so that we can make adjustments on our end.


I WISH YOU MANY MILLION DOLLAR DAYS
AND MISS VISITING WITH YOU AT THE BISTRO!!!
 
XXOO,
MARY, MADDIE, SOPHIA, Z AND KOS