Paybacks are a bitch…

Klaus enjoyed the warm sunshine this morning while we were working. It turned cloudy and started to rain around noon.

It’s hard to believe it’s already a week since we were on the train heading into Penn Station. While we were gone, the orders started pouring in; all of our biggest accounts placed orders.

Large orders always happen when we take a couple of days off, just like they did when we were in Vegas in September. Three years ago, we tried to get away for a couple of days in Connecticut but came home after only one day to catch up. Just for the record, this is a great thing, just a bit overwhelming for me, and is kicking my ass.

Boxes staged to be filled for deliveries.

It’s Thursday morning; I fed the dogs while Marty prepped out in the production kitchen. After today, we will have made more spätzle than we do in two weeks. Tomorrow, we still have another big production day to prepare for the farmer’s market.

My legs have been tired after walking for miles in NYC and then standing so much in the kitchen, but I was utterly exhausted after I got home last night from almost three hours of belly dance. 

By the time I got groceries lugged into the house, put away, and made dinner, my legs felt like someone from the Sopranos had put cement boots on me. 

After I ate, I dragged myself upstairs and got ready for bed. Usually, I have to unwind after a long day, but last night I couldn’t have been more unwound already. I needed to go to bed, period; I couldn’t get out of my own way fast enough.

Music pushed me along today in the production kitchen. The speaker is always covered in the very fine blend of flours we use, it’s inevitable just like in a bakery.

The alarm woke me from a deep sleep early this morning; I had to set it; we had a long day ahead. Production was brutal for me. BRUTAL! I felt more exhausted this morning than I did at the Amtrak Station on Friday night, which didn’t seem possible. 

Spätzle making.

Somehow, I worked my way through production and cleaned up; we finished in record time because we had to hit the road to make deliveries. These were deliveries that needed to be at restaurants in time for their dinner service.

It’s 1 pm. I am in the truck with Marty; we are making deliveries to The Cooper Grouse, the restaurant in the Taconic Hotel in Manchester, VT. Tonight the new chef, Chef Dusty, is launching his new menu, and we happen to be on the menu with pork chops. ☺️

It’s always wonderful to see when local restaurants use local products from local farmers and food artisans. We live in a place that screams, “Use local,” even though most restaurants find it easier to use products from Sysco, a colossal food service company. 

We are also going to HN Williams in Dorset, Southside Steakhouse in Rutland, and The Mountain Top Resort in Chittenden, where our spätzle is a popular option on their wedding reception menu. Wedding season will begin right after mud season is over.

The dining room in the bar at The Mountain Top Resort.

When we got to our last stop, The Mountain Top, we were starving. We decided to grab a late lunch there before coming home. We were the only people in the bar dining room and had a table with a fabulous view. I was tired; it was fantastic that the service was fast and the place was quiet.

The view from our table at lunch. Imagine your wedding cocktail hour on the terrace, one of the many reasons why it’s such a popular wedding venue.

It’s 5:30 pm, almost 12 hours from when I started my day. Finally, this is what I have been waiting for all-day…to put on my pajamas, make an ice-cold dirty vodka martini straight-up with 3 olives, and sit on the couch with my feet up. If I end up in bed by 8 pm, then good for me, tomorrow is another big production day.