News & Events

So Much To Be Thankful For!

Thanksgiving1

November 01, 2008

We did it!  We reached our goal! 

Thank you to all of my friends who responded to our call to help the animals being cared for by the folks at the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society.  Because of your generosity, we were able to fill the Laurel Mountain Basket Company 4 Runner with everything a good dog (and cat) needs!  We know our clients are great people but I was overwhelmed by what you guys did.  You have my sincere thanks and Dana and Fox send big sloppy kisses.

American Women in Uniform

November 11 is Veterans' Day.  A day set aside to honor the thousands of combat veterans who fought in the service of our country.  Here are some statistics about those veterans you might find interesting.  There are 26.4 million veterans in the US comprising about 13% of the civilian population 18 years and older.  37% of civilian veterans are 65 years of age or older and 6% (almost 2 million) are women.

Woman fought in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, War of 1812 and the Spanish American War.  33,000 women served during WWI, 500,000 during WWII, 120,000 during the Korean era, 7,000 were deployed during the Viet Nam era and 7% (more than 40,000) of the US forces in Desert Storm were women.  The most amazing thing about this to me is that these women were all volunteers!

This Veterans' Day remember the women as well as the men who served.  Women like Deborah Samson of Plympton, MA. who, in 1778 enlisted in the army during the Revolutionary War under the name of Robert Shirtliffe.   Deborah served for three years and was wounded twice before she was discovered.  And women like Lt. Kendra Willilams, the first female pilot to drop bombs and launch missles in combat  in Desert Fox.  Thank you all.

Thanks Jess!

Happy Thanksgiving

I couldn't send a November newsletter without wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday.  It has everything that other holidays have, tradtitions like high school football games, special foods like turkey and pumpkin pie, getting together with family and friends in a relaxed setting, and it even has presents for those of us lucky enough to have been born on Thanksgiving day.

I think I love all of the traditional Thanksgiving foods most of all.  Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams (yes, I love yams), potatoes, green bean casserole, and the desserts, pumpkin and apple pie with ice cream  and cake.  Did I mention green bean casserole?  Not quite what you would expect to find the Pilgrims eating so I did a little research.  A Google search resulted in 425,000 hits, astounding!  The now famous green bean casserole was created in the Home Economics Department of the Campbell Soup Company.  In 1955 Dorcas Reilly, whose job it was to create new ways to use the Campbell products, wanted to create a recipe that was quick and easy.  One that could be made with two ingredients that were in every American household in the 1950's, Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup and green beans.  A great casserole is said to have certain characteristics, it needs a minimal number of ingredients, doesn't take much time to prepare, and can be doctored to suit many tastes.    Thus was born, what is considered to be "the mother of all comfort foods", the green bean casserole!

In 2002 Mrs, Reilly donated the original recipe card for Green Bean Casserole to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio.  That recipe card has taken its place in history along side Enrico Fermi's neclear reactor and Edison's light bulb.  So, as you dig into your green bean casserole this Thanksgiving day, remember that you have Dorcas Reilly to thank.

For anyone who does not have the original recipe for green bean casserole, here it is.

  • 1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • dash of ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups French's Fried Onions
  • 4 cups cooked green beans

Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, green beans, and 2/3 cup of fried onions into 1 1/2 quaret casserold.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining fried onions onto top of casserole.

Special Holiday Shopper's Discount

The Holiday Season has begun.  One way to avoid stress during the Season is to get your Holiday Shopping done early.  At Laurel Mountain Basket Company we are offering a 10% discount to our clients who order their Holiday Gift Baskets before Thanksgiving.  All you need to do is make your list, set your budget and place your order before November 26th.  We'll take care of the rest. We will even store your gift baskets for you to pick up, or you can arrange for local delivery or shipping.

Check out our 2008 Holiday designs at our website http://www.laurelmtbasket.com/pages/subcategory/1-christmas or give me a call and we will create something just for you. It's quick and it's easy.  To place your order,  or get more information call 413-527-1243.

Dates to Remember
November
  • 1st   Sadie Hawkins Day
  • 4th   Election Day
  • 10th Gingerbread House Day
  • 11th Veterans Day
  • 14th Loosen up, Lighten up Day
  • 14th Teddy Bear Day
  • 27th Thanksgiving
  • 28th Black Friday (skip the Mall, stay home, eat more turkey and shop on line at www.laurelmtbasket.com)

 

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