However, my evening of indulgence means that I am now behind on Operation Thanksgiving.  I got out of said day job early today, so I now need to scramble around and get my derriere in gear. On my agenda for today is house cleaning, most of which will pawned off the hubby.  Then I need to roast garlic for tomorrow’s garlic mashed potatoes. I need to make the wild rice stuffing and the traditional bread stuffing.  I need to salt both the twenty-pound dinner turkey and a separate turkey breast. The auxiliary breast is for my husband’s traditional post-gluttony hike with his friend Will. They climb a mountain and camp, in NH, the day after Thanksgiving. I don’t believe in cold weather camping. Why the hell would I want to freeze to death on an, admittedly, lovely mountain when I happen to possess a nice, warm bed? I am all for the outdoors but I draw the line when adventure becomes torture. I go shopping on Friday, it is equally challenging — but warmer.

CC-licensed martini photo by Jazreel Chan.

Natural Choice Market is housed in a newly constructed large, barn-like structure. The golden wood tones, inside and out, are warm and inviting. It’s nice to be in there. The staff is friendly and helpful without hovering in an irritating way. The small produce section was vibrant and so much more appealing than the wears that stock the shelves of the behemoth chain groceries. The shelves and coolers are thoughtfully stocked and many local artisans are represented. If you take a moment to ask one of the helpful staff a question, you will find they know a lot about their products. We picked up a couple of loaves of bread made by Abigail’s Bakery in Weare, NH and a couple of pints of ice cream from Walpole Creamery. I’m coming back for more, as soon as I have polished off all the holiday leftovers crowding my fridge.

For entrees Judith, my mother-in-law and I both enjoyed the salad nicoise. This version featured perfectly prepared tuna, egg, roasted peppers, new potatoes, green beans, and some delightful pickled red onions. My husband had the steak frites, cooked to perfection. We enjoyed this with a couple of glasses of house wine. The meal was simply scrumptious.

At Burdick’s desert is not an option. Unless you are a robot, their sweet confections are quite simply too good to pass up. Judith and Casey, my husband, both had frappes made from Burdick’s homemade ice-cream. Judith had the chocolate-banana and Casey had the chocolate-strawberry. The frappes were thick and a rick dark-chocolate in color. I sampled both and I can honestly say that these were the most delicious frappes I’d ever had. I had the hazlenut-orange cake and it was perfect, nutty and sweet.

Of course, I can’t leave Burdick’s without a take-home treat. The brazilian chocolates are my favorite, I savor their rich taste long after I’ve returned home. When I run out, I know its time to go back.