Yellow Door New Year's Eve -- Join us!

Bid adieu to 2011 at Yellow Door "on the road" at the Chelsea Depot on December 31 from 9 a.m. to noon. Chefs Judy Radant (of Ellie's) and Jane Pacheco (of Lunasa) collaborated to create this fresh farm-to-table breakfast menu.

Choose from two delicious breakfast options.

Breakfast feature 1:
Potato Frittata with Swiss Chard and Aged Sheep's Mill 'Butternut' Cheese
Warm Apple and Dried Cherry Compote (with an optional sprinkling of walnuts)
Judy's Famous Cinnamon Roll
Bacon

Breakfast feature #2:
Pumpkin Pancakes with Creme Fraiche and Warm Maple Syrup
Warm Apple and Dried Cherry Compote (with an optional sprinkling of walnuts)
Bacon

Beverages: Chilled Apple Cider, Coffee, Tea / Coffee roaster: Jackson Roasting Company

Breakfast foods are sourced from these local sources:


Lunasa
Tantre Farm
Ferris Farm
Greystone Creamery
Back Forty Acres
Ernst Farm
Calder Dairy
Kelly Farms
Wolfe Orchard
Shoreline Fruit

Served on:
Michigan Green Safe Products

A donation of $15 to 30 per plate is appreciated. A $5 donation per child's plate (10 years old and younger) is also suggested. A big thank you to sponsors Chelsea State Bank and The Common Grill. All proceeds benefit the Chelsea Depot and will be used to replace flooring in the historic train depot.

October 13 Yellow Door to underwite art and music scholarships

Missed Yellow Door camaraderie and the savory and sweet breakfasts? I have! I am so excited for the October 13 Yellow Door at Chelsea Center for the Arts (CCA)! The delicious breakfast menu is chock full of seasonal ingredients, which will definitely tempt you.

Another reason to join us? Proceeds benefit CCA's Scholarship and Tuition Assistance program -- a program that aids community members (no age limit!) with financial assistance in the pursuit of music lessons and visual art classes at CCA. Learn more about the program here.

In these challenging times, it's often that music and art classes are the first to be cut from a family's budget. As funds allow, CCA's program helps to alleviate some of the financial burden for those who demonstrate a financial need and a passion for the arts through an application process.

So, come on out to CCA on October 13 -- catch up with old and new YD friends, eat and support aspiring artists!

Where to be and when:

October 13 / 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Go to Chelsea Center for the Arts in Chelsea @ 400 Congdon Street
(Please note that CCA is in an historic building that requires stair access to main floor and restroom. We apologize for these limitations.)

The dishes:

North African Frittata with Chorizo*
Quinoa Muffins*
Shredded Kale Salad with toasted sunflower seeds*

Stuffed Apple French Toast served with maple syrup
Turkey Breakfast Sausage*
Shredded Kale Salad with soasted sunflower seeds*

Apple or Pumpkin Scones with spiced maple butter

Apple Cider, Milk or Coffee

Sources: Back Forty Acres, Creswick Farm, Tantre Farm, Duerksen Turkey Farm, Wolfe
Orchard, Zingerman's Bakehouse, Westwind Milling Company, Calder Dairy, Mighty Good
Coffee, Lunasa

* Gluten-free

Attend October 25 benefit for Kersch Ray

Please bring your family to a special dinner on October 25. This dinner benefits Kersch Ray and his family. Kersch was hit by a car during a morning run with his cross country team, resulting in broken bones and a head injury.

I heard the news later that day; and, though, I don't know Kersch, my heart immediately ached (and still does) for him and his family. I have a 15 year old and 7 year old. I know I would forever struggle if either one was seriously injured -- or worse. I know where my family will be on October 25.

Bring your family to this dinner to raise helpful funds for Kersch's long-term medical care.

Details:

October 25 / 4 to 8 p.m.
Chelsea High School
Spaghetti dinner, desserts and silent auction

Can you help?

Yellow Door is donating desserts. Please help! If you can provide a dessert, please sign up here. Do you have an item to donate? Email here.

Plan to attend the October 25 dinner. Eat, bid on auction items and assist a Chelsea family in need of community support.

October 13 Yellow Door to underwrite art and music scholarships

Missed Yellow Door camaraderie and the savory and sweet breakfasts? I have! I am so excited for the October 13 Yellow Door at Chelsea Center for the Arts (CCA)! The delicious breakfast menu is chock full of seasonal ingredients, which will definitely tempt you.

Another reason to join us? Proceeds benefit CCA's Scholarship and Tuition Assistance program -- a program that aids community members (no age limit!) with financial assistance in the pursuit of music lessons and visual art classes at CCA. Learn more about the program here.

In these challenging times, it's often that music and art classes are the first to be cut from a family's budget. As funds allow, CCA's program helps to alleviate some of the financial burden for those who demonstrate a financial need and a passion for the arts through an application process.

So, come on out to CCA on October 13 -- catch up with old and new YD friends, eat and support aspiring artists!

Where to be and when:

October 13 / 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Go to Chelsea Center for the Arts in Chelsea @ 400 Congdon Street
(Please note that CCA is in an historic building that requires stair access to main floor and restroom. We apologize for these limitations.)

A sneak peek at the "we're thinking these are the dishes" dishes:

North African Frittata with Chorizo*
Quinoa Muffins*
Shredded Kale Salad with toasted sunflower seeds*

Stuffed Apple French Toast served with maple syrup
Turkey Breakfast Sausage*
Shredded Kale Salad with soasted sunflower seeds*

Apple or Pumpkin Scones with spiced maple butter

Apple Cider, Milk or Coffee

Sources: Back Forty Acres, Creswick Farm, Tantre Farm, Duerksen Turkey Farm, Wolfe
Orchard, Zingerman's Bakehouse, Westwind Milling Company, Calder Dairy, Mighty Good
Coffee, Lunasa

* Gluten-free

June & July Yellow Door breakfasts raise more than $4,000

Wow, Chelsea residents and friends from surrounding communities! Together, we helped raise $2,200 for Chelsea's Sounds & Sights Festival and roughly $2,000 for Mission Marketplace. Isn't it amazing what we can do together for our community non-profits?

Thank you to the chefs, location preps, breakfast workers and diners! Yellow Door volunteers rock!!!!

Just look at these lovely crepes, topped with tart cherries and accompanied by a side of sausage. Mmmm... mmmm! Hope to see you at the next Yellow Door.

Slice of cake at Yellow Door triggers 25-year memory

Every taste tells a story or, at the very least, generates a feeling… such as a memory or feeling of pure delight, interest, disappointment, nonchalance and -- best of all -- romance. In June, amid chatter and enjoyment of a Chef Craig Common-cooked breakfast at Yellow Door, a vivid memory jolted to life.

At the invitation of Yellow Door Volunteer Marie, Brighton resident Joanne Daniels attended the June breakfast. It just so happened that Chef Paul Cousins baked a special cake in honor of Janice Ortbring’s birthday. Being the generous soul that she is, Janice shared her cake with Yellow Door guests, who embraced the idea of cake as the perfect ending to this delicious breakfast.

The cake surprised many for its layer after layer of flavors. Personally, I’m a simple chocolate cake kind of a girl, so when I tasted the birthday cake, I was amazed at the density and flavors that danced on my palate. After a few bites, Joanne expressed to Marie that the cake reminded her of a cake she tasted more than 25 years ago at the wedding of her friends Dave and Nancy McKenzie. It was quickly discovered that Paul, former restaurateur and pastry chef extraordinaire, made this cake only twice in his life – the only other time at Dave and Nancy’s wedding at Greenfield Village. So, of course, we had to share this story!

Paul shared that that the recipe for this Heritage Cake first appeared in a Betty Crocker cookbook in the early 1900s. Paul found the recipe around 1970 and was intrigued with its complexity and history as a wedding cake. It was intentionally crafted as a dense cake – a pound cake with layers of dates, raspberries, apricots, plums and cranberries – for transportation by wagon over rough terrain. When Nancy asked Paul to make a cake – any cake -- for her intimate wedding to Dave, Paul finally had his opportunity to craft this laborious cake – and what a memorable cake! An all day effort, the cake is topped with silky, coffee buttermilk icing after each layer is carefully crafted.

Janice's birthday inspired Paul to make the cake for the second time. Lucky girl! And, lucky us!

Potato utensils and corn plates... now at Yellow Door

A big kudos shout-out to Jane Pacheco for finding earth-friendly disposable utensils and plates for use at Yellow Door! Who knew you could make compostable forks, spoons and knifes from potatoes??? And plates from corn! The products are offered by Detroit-based Michigan Green Safe Products. Check them out here. We tested these durable serving items at the Mission Marketplace breakfast on July 16. Love ‘em and especially love dumping them into the handy compost bin at the breakfast. Very cool!

Yellow Door is on the road... to Mission Marketplace

Yellow Door is serving a farm-to-table breakfast at the new location of The Mission Marketplace in Chelsea on July 14 from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m.

**115 West Middle Street, Chelsea, Michigan**

With your help, we hope to raise $2,000 during this breakfast with all proceeds benefiting The Mission Marketplace in Chelsea, Michigan. So, bring a friend or two or three... We need your help to double our average attendance number -- and double our donations! Outdoor dining will also be available, weather permitting.

To tempt you to join us, guest chefs Angie Berent, Jen Alford, Dennis Crawley and Jane Pacheco have created a delicious menu.

On Thursday, July 15, this dynamite team is cooking up:

Michigan Mission Breakfast Burrito

Flour tortilla (Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory), stuffed with fluffy local, happy chicken eggs (Back Forty Acres/Ernst Farm), cheese (Greystone Creamery) and mild chorizo (Hiday Farms). Served with a side of sour cream (Calder Dairy) and homemade tomato salsa. Accompanied by fresh, local greens (Ferris Farms, Brines Farm, Wolfe Orchard), fresh berries (Ferris, Wolfe) and a bit of grated beet salad (Harvest Kitchen).

Cherry Crepes on a Mission

Michigan cherries (Wolfe Orchard) atop traditional crepes (Lake Star) filled with oh-so-slightly sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta (Greystone Creamery) and baked in a rich custard (Calder Dairy). Served with pork breakfast sausage links (Steinhauser Farm/Ernst Farm)

Small but Powerful

Slice of Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Zingerman’s Bakehouse) served with fresh berries (Ferris Farm, Wolfe Orchard)

Cold Beverages

Peach Apricot Iced Tea (Iceni Tea) & Milk (Calder Dairy)

Hot Beverage

Coffee provided by Mission Marketplace. Add cream from Calder Dairy.


The Mission Marketplace is a nonprofit, community marketplace that sells many handcrafted items made by economically impoverished people in developing regions of the world, both here and abroad.

[Shopping BONUS to all YD guests: Half off one item this morning only for YD guests!]


Also visit www.lunasa.us for easy online shopping of local farm ingredients and artisan products, and visit www.michigangreensafeproducts.com for environmentally-friendly products, like compost-friendly cutlery, recyclable plates, to go containers and more!

Chef Craig Common wants to cook you breakfast on June 16

Chef Craig Common of Common Grill is making you breakfast to raise funds for Chelsea's Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights. Come together on Thursday, June 16, between 7:30 and 10:00 a.m. at Yellow Door. Donate to Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights and get a delicious breakfast loaded with local farm fresh ingredients. Kick off summer with Chef Craig @ Yellow Door!

Ta-da ~ the menu:

• Back Forty Acres egg frittata served with poached Michigan shrimp, Grassfields Organic Cheeses' goat milk cheddar, fresh Michigan asparagus and home fries
  
  
• Calder Dairy buttermilk apple praline pancakes served with warmed Michigan maple syrup and Calder Dairy butter
  
  
• Homemade granola with Calder Dairy milk
  
  Top off breakfast with a slice of artfully crafted birthday cake by Chef Paul Cousins. (A special birthday girl will be in the house... Guess who?)
  
  Two gourmet geniuses under one roof -- served with a fresh cup of joe. Sign me up!
  
  

American Red Cross fundraiser @ Yellow Door this Saturday, March 26

Let's gather for a delicious breakfast menu at our favorite Yellow Door venue this Saturday, March 26. All proceeds from breakfast donations go to the American Red Cross to help those in need in Japan.

~ 8:30 to 11:00 a.m.
~ $15 minimum donation suggested
~ Cash or check made out to American Red Cross

Once again, the Ortbrings open their home @ 213 Harrison Street in Chelsea, Michigan, and invite us through the yellow door for a casual, scrumptious breakfast.

Yeah, yeah, you can sleep in... or you can make a DIFFERENCE and add your few dollars to a pile of other dollars. All together, we'd love to raise at least $1,000 for the American Red Cross' effort in Japan.

Feel good and load up on feel-good food. Choose from:


~ Grilled Roast Beef Rosemary Hash: Grilled roast beef* rosemary hash topped with a fried Back Forty Acres egg and served with a side of horseradish sauce, salad greens, Mill Pond Great Lakes sourdough toast, and MOO-ville Creamery butter.

~ Traditional Pancakes: Westwind Milling Pancakes with Bobilin honey-sweetened whipped cream, your choice of Lake Michigan cherry compote or Michigan blueberry compote, Mindo Chocolate sauce and two pork sausage links.*

~ Bread Pudding: Mill Pond Bread Challah bread pudding with Greystone Creamery cream cheese topped with your choice of Lake Michigan cherry compote or Michigan blueberry compote and served with (or without) two pork sausage links.*

*All natural, chemical-free beef and pork from local farms via www.lunasa.us ~ Ernst Farm, Back Forty Acres, Hiday Farm.

Beverage options: Michigan Apple Cider, MOO-ville Creamery Milk, Iceni Tea, Freshly Roasted Bourbon Coffee from Mindo Chocolate Makers.

Share the news. Invite your friends. All are welcome -- including children. See you Saturday!