Woot woot!! It's national pie day y'all.... Where are you going to celebrate? I believe you need to celebrate with the pie that was in Texas Monthly.... Yep it's famous. Have a beautiful blessed Thursday , hope to see y'all for a slice of pie and a chicken fry !!

Good Morning!! A few weeks ago one of my friends on FB posted a story on the CIG wall. It was about a café that has "suspended" coffee and meals. The article talked of when customers would go in to purchase something they would also pay for another one and tell the cashier "they wanted a suspended one"..... the article goes on to explain that the suspended item is for someone in need. A stranger that is hungry or needs a warm up, these suspended items are paid for by these customers and given out by the café.......Happy Beautiful Thursday yall....when I read the article my heart was full that another cafe was doing this for those in need and I was so honored that my friend shared it with me. Ironically, since I read the article I have been called, messaged and approached at the grill about doing something like this here.... if yall have ever wondered if there is still good in the world you need to look no further than the amazing friends and guest of the CIG.....they are always looking for a way to help others in need & most of the "others" are strangers that they will never meet but wanting to help in some way.....This, my sweet friends, is allowing the Lord to use you to make a difference & this is what the grill is about....thank ya'll for inspiring me and stirring my heart to move forward and to figure out a way to make this happen. The CIG has fed the hungry, homeless and working poor for so long and it is an amazing blessing......allowing others to feel this blessing would be awesome.......M wheels are turning.....give me some time and we will start making a difference together!!

Good Morning!! January 1,2013, I wrote about Faith, Hope & love.....these 3 words were going to take me through the new year. One of my precious regulars had stopped by this grill ,scheduled to open on the 2nd, not to eat but to receive love and hugs from Shelby & I. It had been our first time to see him since his wife had passed away a few weeks before. I wrote of his journey he was now on.....it was going to be extremely tough. Over the last 12 months I have seen my sweet friend nearly everyday....we have laughed together, cried together and enjoyed some really great conversations.....I have watched his heart heal and what guided him through was his Faith, Hope and love......but the greatest of these is love. Love is what has carried my family this year and made me realize how special my family is. Shelby our 2 boys and I have worked side by side on countless hours & days ensuring that the grill runs right.....these 3 guys have truly shown me "they have my back" and they love me unconditionally and they are proud of me..... my family has changed through this year....we are better, we have experienced our heavenly Fathers grace because we have had Faith, hope & love. Many of my cancer survivors have now grown their hair back and have slipped back into life with pure joy radiating from them......they are thankful, seeing them makes my heart sing....our heavenly Father carried them through......with Faith hope and love. Happy Beautiful Tuesday & Happy New Years Eve...what an amazing year it has been! I never knew I was missing something in my life until I met Krissy Harrelson, my manager, she came to the grill when I was down and slowly helped me regain my footing.....just by her support & love. I have watched her deal with her first year of sobriety with absolute grace and how she has changed.......how she has changed me. I feel as if I have lived a few years in just the one year.....I see wrinkles I did not have and ulcers that now give me pain but I also see all the amazing people that are now apart of me, my family and the grill. I started 2013 with 10 crew members and now we are 24 strong......I have learned that yes what doesn't kill you does make you stronger but OH MYLANTA it hurts to get there. I do believe to follow the Lords will for our lives we have to let go of the good so he can make room for the "great"......Even though I still believe the grill is based on Faith, hope and love this new year coming will be a year of absolute greatness......not we are going to be great but letting go of this year....taking all that this crew and I have learned and moving forward.....we have experienced his grace and greatness!!

Good Morning!! For the last month I have had people ask me about my first year coming to an end, I always try to be honest with out being negative...."it has been the hardest thing I have ever done".....I told one of my pastor friends the other day, "I feel like a failure in some ways, I just cant get it right' & I feel as if my purpose is lost because I am too busy running a restaurant", ever since I have uttered those words amazing things have happened around the grill. One of the great benefits of this job are the people....they come to me ask who needs help, food, clothes, gas money, heat.....I give them some direction and when I have long forgotten the conversation they are doing.....showing up at the grill with gift cards & saying "you will find someone to help," bringing cards in with money to help buy Christmas for a family, watching tears slide down cheeks as help has been given from our guest. Last week I am upstairs working when Brittany slowly comes up the stairs, she has been with me a few months, college student 20 yr. " I didn't know what to do with this" in her hand she has a Cast Iron Grill loyalty card, with tears brimming she tells of her regular and her heart is broken....."Teresa you know ________ that comes in for breakfast and sits at the bar, he has no family, in his 70's and we have really gotten to know each other, the other day he comes in and gives me his loyalty card and says he will not be back, give it to someone who needs it." She tells of him being sick and he was suppose to have surgery....but something changed. Her voice full of concern she tells of wanting to find him & visit him but he would never give his last name, a man she doesn't even know his last name & she cares so much for him.....what can she do?" My heart is full as I see her love and concern for this man that was once a stranger, "Brittany, it is amazing how you start to care huh? you now know what I feel everyday for hundreds of people....it is why we all do what we do....Brittany, right now we need to pray for him" she hands me his little card, we tuck it in an envelope, scribble his name on it and lay it on my desk....waiting for his return.... The other day Cindy asked me about a regular that had not been in for a while..."Teresa, have you heard from him?" no was my reply but I did realize it had been a while. She tells of calling him, he delivers flowers, and the flower shop said he was not working..."I am really concerned for him, I miss seeing him, hope he is alright." Happy Beautiful Monday yall....it is a two way street around here and God is so good to show me all the amazing hearts around this place......no the purpose of the grill is still alive and kicking,making a difference. Tis this season to share HIS love and kindness but what a blessing to see, this happens HERE every day of the year. You see it is not just about serving the guest that walk in these doors it is about serving hearts......

Good Morning..... Life is beautiful and I was reminded of that this morning.. I walked into my offices to beautiful birthday decorations and a squel and a hug from Krissy,cards from my boys & Shelby and gifts from Krissy but what touched me to my core was the hundreds of birthday wishes scrawled on colorful cards from the amazing "family" that hangs with us at the grill. Y'all aren't just guest or regulars y'all are apart of me.... Thank you for taking the time to write to me! Happy Beautiful Monday y'all my words can not express what is in my . Krissy, Shelby thank you ... Yes I did the ugly ugly cry as I experienced all the amazing blessings this morning
 — with Teresa Sutterfield Stephens.

I always thought the CIG would be a great place to dance.... Woot woot first dance party at the grill, hopefully there will be many more.... So much fun dancin around the kitchen while the guest are dancin out here

21 years ago I looked into your beautiful eyes and experienced a love I never thought possible. We have laughed together, until our belly's have hurt, cried together ...argued( yes u are great at that ) I have thrown a shoe at you( house shoe) to get you to stop talking , Not one of my finer moments. We have sang many a song and two stepped around the living room...,, we have traveled this amazing country just to watch you play. .... You are my oldest , my first experience to get it right and wrong. I have no words to express how proud I am of you & how much I love you. 21 years ago I had amazing dreams of who you would be ..., you have made everyone come true. Happy Birthday my precious Landon Taylor.., what a blessing to be your mom!!
 — with Taylor Stephens .

In 5 years if making holiday pies I have never experienced this..... 10:00 we have cleaned up, finished up & heading home. My heart is full, my Heavenly Father has given me a bigger place, with more oven space to do what I love, I am thankful for my oven that bakes 20 pies at a time .woot woot, it's the small things yall

Sniff sniff.... Senior pictures ..... Proud of my B!!

Good Morning!!......"Increase". Yesterday early lunch I was doing my normal check list..... make sure all candles are lit, all set-up is done, all of the kitchen crew caught up and on the line, all of the front of the house are where they are suppose to be and then I make my way up to the front.... I put a quarter in the gum ball machine an anticipate what color will come out...( I have done this every week for 6 years) & the last thing I check is the pie case....the one thing every guest will see when they come in, this is where I was stopped by a guest. I did not hear her when she approached and I was startled when she began talking. " Our heavenly Father wanted me to tell you HE loves you and he brings peace to you." She talks of my countenance and how my face radiates HIS love, tears brimming from my eyes, I tell her how much I appreciate her words and that I really needed to hear them....the last thing she says..."He also wanted me to tell you Increase.....Happy Beautiful Tuesday yall, what an amazing feeling of peace comes over you when you hear "HE LOVES YOU", even though as HIS child you know it. I am not sure what the word INCREASE means and neither did she, as I am telling Shelby about her words he says..."Well did you tell her to go back to him and get more info?"....yep he always make me laugh. I will now be searching for his direction and what this one word means but I wanted to pass on.... Jesus loves YOU and he wants to reign in your life and that your face, actions and heart radiate him. Where there is chaos there is peace, where there is grief there is grace!.........hummmm INCREASE this will drive me crazy!