Can you believe it is almost summer?

Can you believe it is almost summer again? Time flies when you are having fun.

Our kitchen staff has been busy creating cake pops and mini chocolate cup cupcakes, and new salads. Our cake pops come in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. They are a huge hit and you may find them at the Coffee Central locations or order directly from us! We are doing large flower pots with 12 for $35.95 and small flower pots with 10 pops for $29.95. Several Administrative Assistants recieved these as gifts and were thrilled. These little babies can be purchased by the dozen for $2.50 per pop and this is without the flower pot.

The Mini Chocolate Cup Cupcakes are absolutly adorable and have been a fast moving item, as well. The chocolate cup is freshly made in house and then filled, top dipped and sprinkled. The finished look is that of a tiny storybood cupcake and the flavor packs a huge chocolate bang like no other treat.

The thing that we love about the mini cupcakes is that they you can eat even the cup! It is made with our gourmet chocolate!

The pastry chef has been coming up with new flavors of cupcakes as well. Are you ready for this? Chocolate peanut butter, banana green tea, peanut butter & jelly, chocolate mocha bean, and salted caramel! We have showcased these at several community events and people have gone wild over the originality of the flavors. To make things even more interesting, the banana green tea is garnished with a fortune cookie and the peanut butter & jelly is garnished with a chocolate dipped potato chip!

These are perfect for baby showers, birthdays, Thank You gifts, or just as a "pick me up" for someone who needs a little cheer!

We are so lucky to work with such a talented group of culinary people! They surprise us on a regular basis and continually provide us with a reason to go to the gym....

Until next time.....

To order these little treats or other items, you can go online/ 24/7 - to www.elysescatering.com or give us a call at 360-943-5555, Monday thru Friday from 9AM to 5PM

A Taste of America’s Favorite Holidays

Guest post by Katrin Rippel of Menu International:

I was invited to the Holiday Open House at Elyse's Catering on Thursday, November 4th. I had seen the busy preparation for this special event underway the week prior and was eager to experience it.

When I entered Elyse's I saw many smiling faces and soon found out why. The Holiday Open House was a showcase of America's favorite holidays and a celebration of the season ahead of us. With Elyse's special touch, everything was topped off with creativity and extravagance.

Guests were greeted with champagne cocktails, hot apple cider, and mouth watering appetizers such as Cheese Torta, Prosciutto Basil Wraps and Walking Shrimp Cocktails.

Tempting aromas led us into the kitchen where carved turkey, house made gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and freshly baked pumpkin rolls awaited. The hit of the event was a mashed potato bar where we selected our favorite toppings – bacon bits, cheddar cheese, glazed and green onions, sour cream…, and Ryan heated the combination to a mouth watering sensation.

Cherishing traditions, we enjoyed Hannukah dishes including Challah bread and poached salmon with dill sauce.

The holiday dessert bar was a decadent combination of Christmas treats such as pumpkin dot bars, eggnog tarts and homemade marshmallows dipped in warm chocolate!

It was getting dark outside when I left Elyse's. What a wonderful Holiday Season kick-off, I thought as I looked back at the deli, full of light and festive decoration, the laughter and talking followed me to the car.

Treat your collegues, employees, associates, family members and friend this season! Order full holiday buffets, individual platters, complete holiday meals or decadent desserts from Elyse's online or call 360.943.5555.

Harvard Hospitality Comes To Olympia

The following is an excerpt from the blog of summertime student employee Brian McIntosh (reprinted with permission):

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During my Junior year at Harvard College, I was trying to decide what my ideal summer job would be. At Harvard, a typical summer job involves curing AIDS in Africa, earning tens of thousands of dollars working at an investment bank, or groundbreaking research in a chosen academic field. But this as I thought about my summer options this year, I decided that what everyone else at my school was doing was irrelevant and as someone a year away from graduating, I should try to find a job that I could see myself truly enthusiastic about. The idea came to me when my parents were kindly taking me out for a birthday dinner at an amazing French restaurant in Boston. Possibly because the birthday dinner reminded them that I was 21 years of age, a large portion of the conversation revolved around my long term plans.

At one point my parents asked me who I thought had the greatest job. As I ate seven courses of delicious food, it became obvious to me that the whoever was lucky enough to wake up everyday and make from scratch something that could bring so much satisfaction to so many people had the greatest job on earth. This was by no means a sudden decision so much as a realization that I should follow something that I was passionate about instead of what I had experience in.


After this conversation, my parents were shockingly understanding, for people financing an education that was completely unnecessary if I did choose to follow a career in the restaurant industry. My dad even got me the book Heat by Bill Buford about a New York Times editor who quits to work for free at Babbo, Mario Batali's restaurant in New York. His description of the regulated chaos that is a restaurant kitchen was so interesting that I read the whole book in one sitting and was fascinated.





This fascination convinced me that I needed to get a job in the food industry with enough hours that I would get some sort of understanding of the controlled commotion that intrigued me in Heat before I was out of college. Knowing that I only had three months, several interviews for kitchen jobs taught me that it would take about a month and a half for me to become a help instead of a hindrance in any given kitchen. Because of this, I broadened my search and started searching for any job in any restaurant or catering company I could find. It was with this willingness and enthusiasm to just have a job in the food industry that I came into Elyse's Catering looking for a job.

After an interview, I was told to show up at work the

upcoming Friday at 1pm. As I walked in the door, I was provided with the perfect introduction the restaurant business. Though I did not know it, we were setting for a large graduation party. Before I even had time to look around I was quickly given a job and had about a minute to learn to roll silverware and then ten more minutes to roll all of the silverware. After I carried tables and chairs, set up and ran a bar for the party, and helped to make sure everything was prepared for the guests' arrival, Elyse asked me “So, do you still want to work in the restaurant industry?” And as I thought about my answer, I happened to notice the time and realized that I had worked for about thirteen hours without realizing it. Clearly, the answer to this question was still a resounding yes.

At the end of the summer, I still feel the same way. In fact, my convictions are probably strengthened because working at Elyse's gave me another reason to pursue a career in the restaurant industry: I've never worked with a group of people who were so patient, kind and funny. I felt welcomed there from my first day at work despite the fact that if there was a mistake to be made at a catering company, I made it. This is the best way for me to learn and having co-workers who were tolerant of my learning style was incredibly helpful. I can also say that despite the often early morning hours of this job, I was always in a good mood when I was at work because of my fellow employees. From changing the lyrics in whatever classic rock song was on the radio to a string of loudly yelled “something”s to the constant humorous bickering in the kitchen, I would often find myself not feeling like I was at work.

At the end of the summer the amount of skills and knowledge that I've gained gives me confidence that I can continue to improve with experience. I would like to thank Elyse and everyone who works at Elyse's for the opportunity to work here and for their patience in training me. I came into this summer eager for any job in the restaurant industry and after three very short months I am leaving it with the same level of enthusiasm but a much more nuanced understanding of what drew me to the food industry in the first place.

Black Hills High School Tradeshow

Elyse's is very fortunate to have been represented by Emma Tauscher at the Black Hills High School Tradeshow event on May 19th, 2010! Emma created displays including a photo book & Elyse's banner as well as handing out samples of our famous desserts!

Below is an excerpt written by Emma, detailing her experience with this show....enjoy!

"Every year, come April, marketing students from Black Hills High School start preparing for the annual tradeshow, run solely by the students, that promotes local companies. Each student picks a company of their choice, studies the business, completes a research project, and designs a booth.

This year I was given the opportunity to participate in the tradeshow and was immediately drawn to supporting a catering business because of my passion for baking and organizing parties and get togethers. After researching many local catering companies, I finally decided on advertising Elyse's Catering because of the business background and the good reviews I had heard.

I was truly inspired by how Elyse started her business from a kitchen-made-garage and is now a successful, well-known company.

The tradeshow turned out to be a great success and many staff and students commended past experiences with Elyse's and requested more information. I have learned that not only does the catering staff have to present excellent food, but also outstanding service. It's all about the presentation!

This opportunity helped me gain experience and a better understanding of how the art of food preparation works so that in the future I can start my own catering business!" - Emma

Elyse's is proud to have been represented so well by Emma!

Holiday Entertaining Part 3 - Hire a Professional?

When planning your menu, consider not only your budget, but also the time of day you will be holding your party. Will it be a brunch? A cocktail party? Wine and cheese party? Light hors d’oeuvres? Heavy hors d’oeuvres? Perhaps a buffet dinner? Seated dinner? Maybe just desserts and coffee? You have lots to choose from! Pick menu items that complement one another. Again your budget will dictate what you can serve your guests.

Making part of your menu ahead of time will save aggravation later on. What can be made ahead of time? Meatballs can be made in advance and frozen. Phyllo triangles are time consuming to make, but freeze beautifully. Do you have a favorite holiday cookie or tea bread? Bake and freeze these a few days ahead of time and take them out the night before.

Though working for days to prepare for your party is admirable, for your sanity's sake I'd advise that you not prepare everything yourself. Determine in advance if your budget will allow you to hire a professional caterer to cater your entire party, or even to simply provide some signature dishes. This added benefit will allow you to be a relaxed host so that you can freely greet and visit with your guests throughout the evening.

A caterer can assist you with all of your menu needs, as well as the actual planning of your menu. It is imperative that you are honest with your cater about how much you can afford to spend, as this will dictate how much food a caterer can prepare for you. A reputable caterer will suggest items that you can make or purchase on your own to compliment your party.

Caterers have many years of experience in what is the best value for your money. Listen to them - you are receiving their knowledge as well as their food! A reputable caterer wants your event to be a success – for your sake, as well as theirs. Chances are that an experienced caterer has planned and executed many parties over the years. Ask yourself this question: how many parties or events of this size have you planned?

If you can expand on this by hiring a professional server to replenish your food buffet, pick up plates, and assist with clean up after guests leave, this will be a win-win service for you and your guests. Outline your needs for service before the night of the party with your server in writing. Agree in advance about what the hours of service will be, what is your plan for the server if your party goes beyond the agreed upon time. What are the specified servers’ duties for the evening? A professional server will expect a tip - be generous!


A sample of a shopping list:
• Beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
• Bar Fruit, Ice
• Paper Goods (napkins, plates)
• Rentals (barware, dishes, linens, tables)
• Music
• Order Flowers, plants
• Lighting
• Candles
• Finished Holiday decorations

Holiday Entertaining Part 2 - Preparing Your House

Getting your House in Order

Don't wait until the last minute to get your house ready for your holiday party! Plan your plan, and then work your plan a little each day. Get your holiday decorations out and start decorating your house inside and out early! Remember; keep detailed lists of what you need to do each day.

Here are some things that you might want to consider:

• Be sure to check that all of your lights in your house (both inside and out) are in working order.

• Allow room in your hall closet for your guests’ coats. Have plenty of hangers on hand.

• If you live in a rainy area, have a place to receive wet umbrellas and boots. Be sure to have a mat out side your door and one inside your door so that your guests will think twice about wiping their feet before they enter your home.

• Plan on moving large bulky pieces of furniture to the garage.

• You want to establish clear pathways for your guests to move around. Yes you need places for your guests to sit but not if they are cumbersome to get around.
  


• Be sure you have places for your guests to put down a beverage, if needed.

• If you have pets, it’s a good idea to plan on isolating them during your party. With all of the comings and goings, your pet could easily get loose and wander away. Guests may be allergic to pet hair and pet dander. Someone may be afraid of cats. Someone else may step backwards and trip over your dog, sending a wine glass flying. It’s better to keep your pet away from the hubbub.

• Think about if you have invited any smokers to your party. Where will they smoke? Nowadays, more and more smokers are accustomed to going outside to smoke. Provide a designated smoking area for them, complete with ashtrays, tables, and possibly a canopy or an overhang to protect them for the wet and wild weather.

Time to clean your house! Everyone dreads this task, so my suggestion is to try to do this by areas rather than all at once. Again, make a plan and work it. Keep detailed notes.

• Clean your fireplace and flue. Bring in plenty of kindling and wood so that starting a fire will be easy. A fireplace adds character and ambiance to a room, and often becomes a focal point... especially when a warm fire is glowing on a cold night.

• Make room in your kitchen cabinets so that the “night before your party” you can put away all appliances that you will not be using, such as your toaster, electric mixer, and juicer. The more counter space you have, the better.
  
  



• Your refrigerator needs to be free of smelly items and leftovers. Make room for large platters of food. Wipe down all shelves with bleach water. Marry bottles of dressing and condiments, allowing more space for beverages. If you have an ice machine and have room in your freezer, start bagging ice it in advance - this way you will have all you need for your party on hand.
  
  


• Clean all of your bathrooms from top to bottom. I would recommend disposable hand towels. Your guests will appreciate this gesture, as it shows that you have a conscious approach to germ warfare.
  



• Have extra toilet paper in a basket for your guests to refill themselves. Also, have a basket or a bowl of emergency items on your bathroom counter, such as Band-aids, aspirins, Tylenol antacids, a nail file, mouthwash, gum, hair spray, hand lotion, and sanitary napkins. Be sure to have a spray bottle or room deodorizer in each bathroom. A candle is a nice touch as well. Hand sanitizer is a must!



• Be sure the entry to your home welcomes your guests. You do not want your guests falling, so you can prevent this by being prepared ahead of time. Is your outside entry well lit and clear of any debris? Are your gutters clean? If you don’t have an entryway, is their room for your guests to leave their wet boots on your front porch? Can you make a boot area for them? Can you spruce your entry by adding some lighted potted plants that add color and light at the same time?

Holiday Entertaining, Part 1 - Invitations

Holiday entertaining – How to be the Host with Most! Taking the time to make a thoughtful and appropriate plan (and sticking to it!) will ensure that your party will be relaxing and fun for you and your guests. So organize and plan every detail for your party now. This 8-part series will help you with every step of the planning process.

1. Guest List & Invitations
Your guest list should be complete with name, address, phone, email address and column for RSVP. It is important to think about why you want to invite to your party. Feel free to over-invite guests, as there will always be no shows or last minute cancellations. It’s perfectly fine to mix and match friends and business acquaintances, so feel free to ask people from your place of employment, neighbors, church, synagogue, gym, book club, fraternal originations and relatives. Go through your email list and invite people that you email to who may not be in your address book. The more guests that come through your door, the better the party!


Invitations

Plan to send your invitations out early, as the holiday can be a busy and hectic time for all. A save-the-date via email six weeks in advance or a personal phone call would be one way to conquer this task early. If that is not an option than I would recommend at least three to four weeks notice to allow your guests ample time to plan there holiday activities around your party. Remember to include your return address on the envelope so in case the invitation is deemed undeliverable it will be returned to you. If a potential guest does not respond by the date you have designated, then by all means follow it up with an email or a phone call. This will let your guest know that you really want them to come and join the party.

Your invitation, whether printed or hand written, must state the following:
· Date and Time
· Address and Directions
· Where to park
· What the party is for
· Host
· Contact information
· Site phone number
· Attire
· Menu (light refreshment, brunch, light dinner, full dinner, cocktails, desserts)
· Is the party for adults only, or will children be allowed? If you would like children to attend, then write on the invitation “All children are welcome.” Or, if you choose to go one step further, then write “A babysitter will be provided.”
· The best way to RSVP (email or phone) and the RSVP date.

The abbreviation RSVP is French for répondez, s'il vous plaît (please reply). As a guest, it is common courtesy to take a minute out of your day and reply as requested to the invitation by a specific date. If bringing children, include their ages on the RSVP. As a host or hostess it is imperative that you track all of your RSVP’s, whether you are preparing the food yourself or hiring a professional caterer to do so for you.

Another consideration: You, as the host, may want to adopt a charitable cause. With the current state of the economy, what better way to help your favorite cause by asking your party guests to assist you in making a donation that will add a charity element to your holiday party! I have listed a few charities that I know and love that you could contact.

· The Local Food Bank will always take dry goods and canned goods of any kind, especially peanut butter, Mac & Cheese, and boxed cereal. Checks are gladly accepted.
· The Local Humane Society is always in need of dry dog and cat food, collars for all size and shapes of animals, leashes, cat litter, checks for neutering and licenses, medium and large dog houses, litter boxes, and pet toys.
· Adopt a less fortunate family in your area – Be specific with your needs, i.e. ages of children and adults for gifts, sizes for clothes. If you are bringing this family a basket of food for the holidays, then tell your guests what you need to fill it with.
· Seniors in your area – Personal Care items, Crosswords, Socks, Pajama's, Robes, Sweaters, T shirts, Note cards and Stamps, gas cards, magazine or Newspaper Subscriptions, gift cards.
· Toys for Tots – The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
· Soldier’s Families - Phone cards, donate your time to help with household repairs,
· Wounded warriors – Cash and credit card donations are gladly accepted.
· Gift wrapping - Call your local high school, church, or Boys and Girls Club. Ask if the club is looking to earn money for a specific purpose - if so, inquire if they are interested in setting up a booth in your home where your guests can bring there presents to be wrapped. Guests will be asked to donate to the local club of your choosing!

This can become something fun and worthwhile for everyone to partake in. I believe it can be rewarding experience for those that give as well as those who receive. You can make a difference! In fact with all of your friends help your impact can make a BIG difference! As the host, you can make it easy for your guests to get involved! So what are you waiting for?