By Brooke Geery
The Vermont National Guard is in the midst of its largest foreign deployment in 10 years. On Sunday, Jan. 10, members of the guard shipped out with bellies full of Texas-style BBQ lovingly crafted by Theresa House and her crew at Mama T’s Country Kitchen in Rutland.
House and the crew cooked up 424 meals between Jan. 8 and 9, an effort which required all hands on deck. Employees came in on their day off to ensure they were able to make enough food.
“I love and respect the military and want to be of service to those who serve our country,” House said, explaining her motivation.
The meals were not provided entirely for free, but were sold at a large discount. Such a venture is not surprising from the crew, which got its start cooking food for for the Incident Command Center (ICC) in Rutland as it worked to repair the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
The popularity of their food and joy of helping people led to House’s opening a permanent location in Rutland, currently at the Mobil station on Route 4 east, at the bottom of the Sherburne Pass. “My husband was in BBQ competitions down in Texas, he taught me everything he knows, and ‘God does the rest,’” House said.
