October News 2013

Hello again,October is here and we hope that the yellow brick road of golden autumn birch leaves leads you to the door of the Squirrel for any number of wonderful reasons... Plus a few other tidbits.

 

Winter Hours
This year we will see what it's like to stay open 6 days a week (including Tuesdays!). New winter hours for the Squirrel at least through the end of the year: 

SUNDAY: 8am-5pm • MONDAY: closed
TUESDAY: 7:30am-6pm • WEDNESDAY: 7:30am-6pm • THURSDAY: 7:30am-6pm
FRIDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)
SATURDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm) 

 

Art Openings
October brings local resident and young artist Bekah Mathieson back to the walls of the Squirrel. PLEASE NOTE: the opening for her show entitled, "I Never Thought I Could Draw," will be held on THURSDAY, October 10 from 5-7pm. This collection of anatomical charcoal drawings will be on display until early November. In November welcome back Chris Bowman for a show of new work called "New Found Art in Newfoundlands."

Adult Bread Class: Flatbreads
Last month's Basic Breadmaking class was completely full and lots of fun. Interested in taking a class in the kitchen at Flying Squirrel? FLATBREADS will be held Sunday, October 20 from 1-4pm. In this class for anyone over the age of 15, we will make fresh whole wheat pita and rustic ciabatta including mixing and shaping the dough, proofing, baking and eating! The class will learn about special dough and oven techniques for handling flatbreads including an introduction to baking with fire and how to simulate brick oven conditions at home. Basic bread making skills are recommended. Please contact Alaska Folk School to sign up by clicking here or by calling 907-733-7111 before October 15.

Taste of Alaska Community Potluck
Tuesday, October 8, 5:30-7pm at Talkeetna Elementary School
Join Talkeetna Elementary School students, parents and staff for a celebration of Alaska foods and healthy eating! This is the 3rd annual potluck and fundraiser for the PTA's healthy snack and salad bar programs at the Elementary School. Free soup dinner featuring Alaska grown foods will be provided by Flying Squirrel Bakery Cafe and all community members are welcome. Bring along a side dish, dessert or homemade bread to share if you can.

Halloween Haunted House - Edible Ones!
Wednesday, October 30, 2-5pm
No - there will NOT be a haunted house at the Squirrel this year - but you can make your own edible haunted house to bring home or share with friends at our annual Halloween Creepy Treats class! Children ages 5-12 will work in groups of 2-3 (with a parent for kids under 7) to create a fun and spooky graham cracker haunted house in this afternoon workshop. Limited to 18 children and it usually fills up, so sign up early!

New Bread Schedule
SUNDAY: Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf • Whole Grain Bagels (plain or with seeds)
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: Olive Oil Baguette • Molasses Multigrain
WEDNESDAY: Ciabatta • BAKER'S CHOICE {Sunflower Rye, Eight Grain, Alaska Barley Bread or 100% Whole Wheat}
THURSDAY: Olive-Herb Fougasse • Country Sourdough
FRIDAY: Whole Wheat Baguettes • Whole Wheat Pita (preorder only) • Light Wheat Challah
Gluten Free Bread: First Friday of each month, preorder only
SATURDAY: Olive Oil Baguettes • Cheese Bread • Spent Grain • Whole Wheat Walnut Raisin

VEGGIES FOR SALE!
Ask at the counter for Talkeetna Grown vegetables: kale, winter squash, cabbage and potatoes. They will be available well into December with potatoes offered until they start sprouting in the spring! If you're into sauerkraut or kim-chee, now is the time to call Brian for a quantity discount on cabbages!

Enjoy this glorious autumn weather!
Warmly,
Anita Continue reading »

September News 2013

Summer has been busy in a great way. Successful by all accounts with a great staff, wonderful online reviews, challenging catering opportunities and fun adventures in food! Now it's definitely looking and feeling like autumn around here with a few golden leaves falling from the birch trees, all the kids back in school and, of course, meetings. A few of our hard working friendly staff will be moving on to other adventures for the winter or longer and we say big thanks and good luck to Becca, Johanna, Katie and Kyle. There are LOTS of reasons to frequent the Squirrel this fall especially in the next few weeks...

Art Shows
There is still a little more than a week to come have a look (and a purchase for a great cause) - the Susitna Wild group exhibit is wonderful to see and shows many perspectives on our community connection to the Susitna River. Most of the proceeds from sales of this show will go toward efforts of the Coalition for Susitna Dam Alternatives. That show is coming down on September 12 so if you have a piece hanging in the show that didn't sell, please come to claim it! Coming up next, my dear mother-in-law Leilani Kingsbury will be hanging some of her own photography showing the many years of hard work, reward, and beauty found out at Birch Creek Ranch. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 14 from 3-5pm.

Rosh Hashanah Specials
This week, Jews all around the world celebrate the changing of their calendar to a New Year. In celebration of the holiday whose name means literally "head of the year", we will have traditional round challahs, some with golden raisins this Friday, September 6 around 11am as well as sweet, moist honey cakes Wednesday through Friday. To reserve a challah please call with your order before Thursday at noon. Stop in and enjoy an apple slice dipped in honey in hopes of a sweet year to come!

Bread Basics - an Alaska Folk School class at Flying Squirrel
Sunday, September 15, 1-4pm
This course is for anyone over 15 that wants to learn the skills and concepts in making bread. It will be held at the Squirrel and taught by yours truly, Anita Golton! We'll cover everything you need to know about making small batches of homemade bread in your own kitchen. The class is being offered through Alaska Folk School - please go to this link for more information or to register.

Farm Bounty
Every year, farming brings many surprises the best of which this year may have been the flying squirrel that visited Robin Song's porch at the farm. This year there were no raspberries at all but some wonderful tomatoes and record breaking squashes. We continue to use farm produce whenever possible at the Squirrel whether lettuce greens on our panini sandwiches, broccoli and herbs on pizza, cauliflower in the quinoa salad or our new favorite sunshine soup that features pureed summer squash. Brian will still hold a few more weeks of farm stands, so get it while you can - Saturdays in the Squirrel parking lot from 3-6! You can purchase zucchini and yellow squash any time over the counter at the Squirrel and soon we'll add kale once the farm stands are over. Photo by Robin Song.

September Hours
We are now closed on Mondays for the rest of the winter. Everything else stays the same in September and October hours are in the works.
SUNDAY: 8am-5pm
MONDAY: closed
TUESDAY: 7:30am-7pm
WEDNESDAY: 7:30am-7pm
THURSDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)
FRIDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)
SATURDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)

Hoping the Folk School folks don't need to hold an ark building class any time soon! We'll be working on a sun dance special here pretty quick...
Warmly, Anita Continue reading »

Mid Summer News 2013

Hello Everyone,
With summer in full swing, the Squirrel has been swinging with it. We have our busy days, our busier days and our lines to the door days. It's all been pretty manageable and as much hard work as anyone would expect in a typical Alaska summer. Our grilled Panini experiment has been great fun and very well received. We have a few new treats we're excited about like Really Good Bars and Seeded Barley Crackers. The Squirrel stickers that say "Eat. Real. Food." with our logo sold out a week ago and we're working on getting more! Trip Advisor reviews we've received regularly over the last month are incredibly positive and it's nice to know that some of the travelers that find their way to the Squirrel are enjoying what we do. Hard to believe that a bit of darkness is coming back and that there are really only about 6 weeks left of our busiest season. Following are a few important things I wanted to make sure to pass along...

 
"Gone Fishin" - TWO DAYS OFF!
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Squirrel is open seven days a week! EXCEPT: Flying Squirrel will be closed Sunday, July 21 and Monday, July 22 for a mid summer break. Even I need to sleep in once in a while and all the staff deserved a couple of days to chill. Hopefully Brian and Oliver will come home with a pile of fish and I'll be at home helping to process Kenai River reds and working on some pickles and jam along with much needed sleep on my two days off. We'll be back on Tuesday!


 
CELEBRATE THE SUSITNA RIVER WITH ART!
August's art show will feature various artists with a wonderful theme - our local, important and beautiful waterway, the Susitna River. We're working with the Coalition for Susitna Dam Alternatives to raise awareness about the community connection to this integral part of our town and it's surrounding wilderness. Artists with something to contribute can contact Anita at the Squirrel or Rachel at 733-3813 or just bring in your ready to hang artwork or photography by August 7. The opening reception will be held on August 9 from 6-9pm. A portion of proceeds from sales will go to help the Coalition's efforts. Meanwhile, until the river show, stop by the Squirrel to see Tony Crocetto's Abstract Explorations show - it's so great to see these big, colorful canvases on our walls! Pictured painting by Steve Durr.




ALASKA GROWN PRODUCE AND BRIAN'S LOCAL FARM STANDS
Flying Squirrel is committed in many ways to supporting other small Alaska businesses and to using fresh Alaska Grown products whenever possible. Especially during summer, but also throughout the year, we feature Alaska Grown barley, birch syrup harvest right down the road from our friends at Kahiltna Birchworks and lots of vegetables from our local family farm Talkeetna Grown at Birch Creek Ranch. The state's agriculture program is even helping out Alaska's specialty crop farmers by giving restaurants who participate in the Alaska Grown Restaurant Rewards Program a small percentage back for purchases of some Alaska Grown products. Everyone works SO hard in Talkeetna and in Alaska all summer long, but I think farmers must work the hardest, possibly with the least financial reward. We're doing this for so many reasons, but mostly it all just tastes SO good! Look for the Alaska Grown symbol on some of our signs, notes on the pizza menu and ask the counter staff what has Alaska Grown in it today! Some of our favorite features: sparkling rhubarb ade, birch toffee pecan cookies, birch chai latte, cream of greens soup, Thai cucumber salad, sesame snap peas, and roasted veggies in and on everything from pizza to breakfast wraps to tasty grilled Panini sandwiches! YOU TOO can support these efforts and help ensure that a small local farm can survive our crazy Alaska weather, seasons, caterpillars, droughts, small market base and other farming hardships. Buy veggies from a local farm stand:
WEEKLY TALKEETNA GROWN FARM STANDS
Tuesdays, noon-3pm at the Senior Center
Fridays, 2-7pm at the Willow Farmer's Market (including Squirrel bread and goodies!) and
Saturdays, 3-6pm at Flying Squirrel

Have fun in the sun!
Anita Continue reading »

May 2013

Hooray for May!
Up north and around Alaska, people wait for the ice to go out on the Tanana River to find out who wins that annual guessing game. I just checked out their website and saw that the ice depth actually got 2 inches THICKER last week and is currently about 10 inches thicker than at this same time last year (and the 5 previous years as well)! Around Talkeetna the roads are clear, the driveways are getting better, and the birch trees are finally being tapped at the Birchworks up the street, but the river is still solid and the farm fields still have a good 2 feet of snow! This is the latest spring I have ever seen. So, we all seem a bit in denial that any day we'll have green leaves and LOTS of visitors to our quiet town. Hope to see you out and about, stopping in at the Squirrel for some of these wonderful events in May...

Friday, May 10, 5-6:30pm - Poetry Slam!
Youth and adult poetry workshops with Kima Hamilton of Brave New Alaskan Voices will be held May 9 & 10 at NSI. A poetry slam will be held here at the Squirrel on Friday evening. Ages 8 and up are welcome for both youth and adult categories. Whatever your style, you can learn to create it, say it, and slam it - or just come by to watch! For questions contact Shoo at 733-2402. Sponsored by the Association of Alaska School Boards and FOCUS Homeschool.


Saturday, May 11, 3-5pm - Second Saturday Art Opening
Visit with Valley artist Jessica Cavazos during her opening reception of "The Unique Art Works of Ravens Element" and to learn more about her culturally unique art of Mehndi. Her Henna art and Painted Candles will be available for viewing and purchase. Art work will be on display until early June. Coming up in June is photography by Dora Miller.



Sunday, May 12, 11am-3pm - Mother's Day High Tea
Enjoy this fine English tradition with a selection of loose leaf teas, champagne, and Flying Squirrel’s sumptuous finger foods presented on a tiered platter…a relaxing and delicious treat for any mother in your life! Reservations highly recommended. For more information or to make a reservation, please call or stop by the Squirrel.


Sunday, June 2, 7pm - Stay Warm CD Release Concert
Yes, my talented sister with the sweet voice, poetic lyrics and unique dulcimer has a new CD! And although she and Jim are now residing in New Haven, Connecticut, Esther will be back for a few weeks to offer up her newest recording for your listening pleasure. As one of the few people that got to hear it first, I can tell you that it's GREAT (though certainly I'm pretty biased)! Join us at Flying Squirrel for Esther's Alaska CD Release including:

Limited Seating CD Release Concert: 7pm, $12. Tickets available in person or by phone at the Squirrel beginning May 7. Doors Open with Hors d'oeuvres on Esther at 6:30pm.
Free After Party, CD Signing and CD celebration cake, 8:30-9:30, all are welcome.
More information about Esther, her music, and her new CD "Stay Warm" is available at esthergolton.com!

May Hours
Despite all the snow on the ground, we are officially on summer hours:
SUNDAY: 8am-5pm
MONDAY*: 7:30am-7pm *Closed Mondays in May & Sept except open holiday weekends
TUESDAY: 7:30am-7pm
WEDNESDAY: 7:30am-7pm
THURSDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)
FRIDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)
SATURDAY: 7:30am-9pm (Pizza Night: 4-9pm)



   


Other Tidbits
• CALL FOR ARTISTS: Flying Squirrel will host a group show with an opening in early August entitled Susitna Wild - A Celebration of the River Through Art. This fundraiser for the Coalition for Susitna Dam Alternatives will feature area artists' works that show our local connection to the river. If you are interesting in submitting art for this show, please contact Anita at the Squirrel.
• NEW STAFF: I'm so happy that Kelly and Ben will continue to be the familiar faces you see around the Squirrel this summer. Plus please welcome Brandon, Margaret, Becca, and Katie and give them feedback as they learn the ropes!
• TALKEETNA GROWN CSA: The veggie starts at the farm can't wait for the snow to melt! Brian is still offering shares for this summer's bounty of produce being grown at Birch Creek Ranch - this is THE best way to ensure that you will eat a wide variety of locally grown produce all summer. Forms and more information are available at the Squirrel or call Brian at 841-7885. And YES, Birch Creek Ranch will have the retail greenhouse open from mid May to early June.
• PTA Birds of Alaska Quilt Raffle: Remember that beautiful quilt that was hanging in the Squirrel some of the winter? It will be raffled off on May 22 to benefit the wonderful programs sponsored by the Talkeetna Elementary PTA. Tickets are only $5 and are still available at Flying Squirrel!

Wow! I thought I was ready and excited for summer, but after writing and reading all this, I'm already thinking about the relaxing days of autumn. Now, everyone go outside and do a sun dance and get that snow to melt!
Warmly,
Anita Continue reading »