Haleigh Eustis
Intern, Digital Marketing
Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re celebrating with a loved one, taking on Galentine’s Day in style, or enjoying a night on your own, there’s nothing better than a delicious (and easy) dinner to make your day perfect! Of course, no dinner is complete without a drink and dessert. We have compiled the perfect Valentine’s Day meal utilizing Market 32’s extensive list of delicious meals, drinks and desserts!
Bourbon-Cherry Smash. Start your dinner off with a festive drink! This Bourbon-Cherry Smash is the perfect combo of fruity and sweet plus a bit of spiciness from the bourbon. This drink turns a beautiful shade of red that is wonderfully on-theme for Valentine’s Day. Delicious and quick to make, a Cherry Smash is the perfect choice to start your festive meal off strong!
Sweet & Spicy Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Poblano Salsa. A delicious main course to impress anyone with your spectacular cooking skills! This robust meal is full of savory salmon accompanied with the tangy and acidic sweetness from grilled pineapple and fresh tang of poblano salsa. If you’re not a salmon lover, feel free to swap salmon for chicken.
Herb-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. No main course is complete without a side dish. Fingerling potatoes are the perfect side for our Sweet and Spicy Salmon. Bursting with an array of dynamic herbs and savory garlic, fingerling potatoes will always be an easy and quick go-to dish for any occasion!
Red Velvet Brownies with Cookies & Cream Frosting. Finish your Valentine’s Day meal with a sugary treat, of course! Chewy brownies are a classic dessert for an obvious reason. Easy to make and delicious to eat, they are the perfect holiday choice. These brownies are wonderfully festive as they are a deep ruby red color, topped with decadent frosting making each bite sugary and marvelously rich.
Enjoy Valentine’s Day with an easy meal plan that is as festive as it is tasty! Shop all your Valentine’s Day groceries, flowers, cards and chocolates at Price Chopper/Market 32!
Haleigh Eustis
Floral Intern
Chanukah is a holiday that lasts for eight days in which people celebrate with traditions, foods, games, and family. Even though flowers aren’t technically a staple to this holiday, they certainly could be! If you’re planning on having a family gathering after lighting the menorah, but you want decorations that are fitting for the time of year, I’ve got you covered. Let’s make a Chanukah themed bouquet! .
What you will need:
- One small vase (this will be your inner layer)
- One medium sized vase (This will be your outer layer. Make sure your outer layer is taller than your inner layer and that there is wiggle room when you place the small vase into the medium vase.)
- One bunch of baby’s breath
- One bunch of white roses
- One bunch of blue crazy daisies
- Greenery (optional)
- Chocolate coins or “gelts”
- Blue ribbon (optional)
How to make this bouquet:
Take your inner layer (which is a small vase) and assemble your bouquet. If you’ve never made an arrangement before, don’t fear, I can help!
- Every arrangement has specific flowers that you can utilize to create the most attractive bundle of flowers. The arrangement is going to focus on your focal flower(s) which is—typically—the most beautiful, or eye-catching flower. In this case, your focal flower will be the rose. Normally, we use between one to three focal flowers and build from there.
- After we have our focal flowers, we start utilizing our focal fillers (which in this case will be the blue daisies!)
- Once you’ve created an arrangement of focal and focal fillers, we can start adding regular fillers. For this arrangement I’ve chosen baby’s breath and greenery. Filler flowers are used to fill in odd or awkward gaps. It’s easy to get taken away by fillers, so use them sparingly!
- And voila! You’ve created a beautiful arrangement, and it wasn’t even hard, was it? Let’s continue!
- Once you’ve created your arrangement, place your inner layer into your outer layer. After you’ve assembled shell for your flowers, this is where the fun comes in!
- Take your chocolate coins and place them in the gap between the inner and outer layer (this is the importance of having wiggle room)! When you place the coins in the space, they will stand upright. Repeat this until all the space is filled and you’re going to end up with an eye-catching arrangement that is beautiful on its own or . . . you can adorn the arrangement with a ribbon!
- And there you have it, a beautiful and easy Chanukah arrangement that is sure to impress with its beauty and uniqueness!
Shop all of your Chanukah and Holiday needs at Price Chopper/Market 32!
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN
Manager, Lifestyles and Wellness
BOO! Here it comes again, the official (unofficial) holiday of Halloween! There is no doubt, it is beloved by children and adults alike. The costumes, decorations and freaky/fun tricks and treats are wickedly delightful for those who participate before colder weather changes activity opportunities. To ensure it is fun for everyone, set expectations – your goblins and ghouls should know the food safety rules ahead of time to set the stage for happy smiles versus scowls and howls. Here are some ‘tricks” for caregivers hoping for a howling good time!
- Eat before treat – some great Halloween treat ideas to set the stage are right here (with spooky music!) on Price Chopper YouTube and Pinterest boards. That will make it easier to create the plan that parents/guardians must check items before eating. We have treats for adults too – pumpkin everything and fall favorites to fuel your fun is right here!
- Children should be taught – only to accept treats that are commercially wrapped. Throw away anything that is torn, has pinholes, or looks unusual in any way. Fresh fruit, if accepted, should be carefully checked and washed before eating.
- If your child has a food allergy, you already know that treats are tricky. Verify Epi-pens are not expired and are readily available. Always check the labels of each item. Some homes may have a teal-colored pumpkin to signal they have some treats without some allergens, but adults must still check the individual items before eating. The same goes for gluten free candy – The Celiac Disease Foundation has published their 2023 Gluten Free Halloween Candy list – you can download and print the pdf here.
- Ages and stages – some candies are choking hazards for smaller children. Gum, hard candies, peanuts and even small toys could be a concern. Check treats are appropriate and stay present while they are enjoyed.
- Managing added sugars at Halloween doesn’t have to be tricky! How much and how often should be part of the plan and discussed ahead of time to keep the howls to a minimum. A national poll shows 78% of parents plan for about two pieces of candy per day. That helps children learn candy can be part of eating well. In 2017, the Partnership for a Healthier America and the National Confectioners Association partnered to help with portion control and front-of-pack labeling, resulting in over 90% of candy and chocolates labeled to help your goblins and ghouls enjoy treats. Learn more at here.
- Enjoy the Halloween season – Top 10 ways to celebrate Halloween!
- Flashlights, candy, party supplies and more are all at our stores waiting for you to create a “monster” good time. Happy Halloween!
BWAH HA HA HAAAAA!!!!!!!
Mia Teal
Marketing Coordinator, Paid Media
You know what they say about eating an apple a day! Today is National “Eat an Apple Day,” so what better way to celebrate than with Price Chopper and Market 32. We have a variety of apples to choose from, including McIntosh Apples in tote bags, which are only .99 a pound this week! Make sure you browse our apple collection at the end.
Apples are more than just a popular fruit; they’re a symbol of crunchiness, sweetness, and wholesome goodness. From the refreshing sip of apple cider to the warm comfort of a homemade apple pie, these fruits have woven themselves into the fabric of our lives and culture. Oh, and we should mention that our locally sourced Market 32 Apple Cider is only $3.49 for a half gallon this week. Deals all around!
There are so many different types of apples out there that it may even be a little overwhelming. Fear not, let us take you through the journey of sweetness! We have picked six types of apples that we carry to feature here today. Let’s take a look…
Honey Crisp: The Honey Crisp Apple tends to be larger in size, juicy, and sweet. This variety is great for pie and applesauce.
Granny Smith: Granny Smith Apples are bright green, tart, and subtly sweet. These apples also work well in pies or sauce.
McIntosh: McIntosh apples tend to be on the medium to smaller. These apples are red with green spots, and have a tart taste.
Fuji: Did you know that Fuji Apples originated in Japan? How cool is that? These apples are red with areas of yellow and tend to be sweet and firm.
Cortland: The Cortland Apple has a vibrant red hue and features a refreshing, juicy white flesh. This variety tends to be tarte.
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink): The Pink Lady Apple is beautifully bright pink in color, and is most flavorful at room temperature.
Check out some recipes below for apple picking season!
Apple Dumplings: Warm apple dumplings are perfect for the cold weather approaching! Pair with PICS Vanilla Ice Cream for the ultimate duo.
Oven Grilled Cheese with Apples: Apples and cheese are a spectacular combo! Check out your soon-to-be new favorite recipe!
No-Churn Brown-Butter Apple Pie Ice Cream: When you make apple pie for your Thanksgiving feast, top it off with this ice cream! It is sure to be a hit!
Air Fryer Apple Churros: You may have had a cinnamon sugar churro, but how about an apple churro in the air fryer? Stop what you are doing and check out this recipe!
Written by our friends at Green Mountain Energy
Do you love summer farmers’ markets but wish you could use those flavors for a Thanksgiving cobbler? Wish you could reduce the waste from store-bought canned goods? Did your backyard garden give you way more produce than your household can possibly eat before it turns? It’s time to get canning!
Canning isn’t just for your grandparents anymore, but they were certainly onto something—it’s the greenest way to take your pantry to the next level. Home-canned food offers plenty of benefits, like:
– Seasonal produce year-round. Fresh fruits and vegetables found at the height of their season at your local farmers’ market in the summer can make a tasty appearance on your table any time of year.
-Knowing what’s in your food. Since the only thing in your canned food is what you put into it, it’s a good way to avoid artificial additives.
-Room for creativity. You can try out new recipes for jams, soups, salsas and more.
-Eco-friendliness. Canning cuts down on food waste, reduces emissions from transporting food, and minimizes single-use plastics.
-Saving time. Too rushed to make dinner from scratch? Reach for that yummy homemade soup or pasta sauce you canned in advance.
Before you get started, make sure you have the basics on hand:
This is just an overview of the canning process. Check out more detailed information from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. We hope you have a great time getting creative and cutting down on food waste with this time-honored activity!
More ways to live sustainably:
Canning is an excellent (and tasty) way to cut back on food waste and plastic use, but your green efforts don’t have to stop there! Since you’re on a roll, see our other simple tips for cultivating an Earth-friendly lifestyle on our blog here.
Our favorite way to live greener is also one of the easiest: choosing to use clean electricity in your home. We’ve partnered with Market 32 to make going green even more rewarding, featuring 100% renewable energy plans that let you save at the checkout line. Learn more here.
Haleigh Eustis
Floral Intern
Happy August! Even though summer is slowly starting to wrap up, weddings are still going strong this month. Planning a wedding can be stressful, especially not knowing how to decorate in a “trendy” way. There’s such a push to have unique wedding decor, but inspiration to decorate and collect out of the box ideas can be difficult! What if I told you that creating wedding décor that is out of the ordinary is far easier than you may think?
Floating candles are a novel way to have add an elegant flare to your wedding; they are eye-catching but reserved. Though floating candles are beautiful, they can tend to feel boring depending on the theme and selection of decor you may have. That being said, there is a very simple way to fix this issue!
Let’s Make Floral Floating Candles!
What You Need:
- Flowers! Make sure the flowers you use won’t immediately brown when submerged into water (avoid African violets!)
- Flowers I recommend: Roses, Water Lilies, Orchids and Daises.
- Glass vase (The size is completely up to you, but make sure it is as tall as your flower and there’s extra room on the top for the candle.)
- Flower frog (Check out the link below for the Flower frog. These are used to keep bouquets upright in the vase!)
- Accent gems or rocks (See link below!)
- Floating candles (See link below!)
- Hot glue gun
Let’s Begin!
Step One: Take your flower frog and flowers. I recommend using a maximum of four flowers (all differing in height) for this or else the vase may be too crowded. Using the stems of the flower, place them in the flower frog until you find a look that you like! If you need help using a floral frog, click here for a great video to help you out.
Step Two: Once you have created your bouquet, place a dollop of hot glue on the bottom of your flower frog and place it into the bottom of the vase. Let this cool completely before you continue the rest of your DIY.
Step Three: Once your bouquet is in the vase, take your rocks or accent gems and very carefully place them on the bottom of the vase. You’ll want to completely cover up your flower frog when this is over!
Step Four: Once your flower frog has been covered you will want to take water (room temp or cold water is preferred) and submerge the entire flower. Make sure your vase is tall enough to submerge the entire flower while leaving room for your floating candle!
Step Five: Once you’ve filled your vase with water, take your candle and place it on top of the water. Make sure you have a few back up candles. If they get wet, they won’t light up again! Now, you can light your candle and admire your beautiful floral floating candle!
With unique decoration ideas wedding season doesn’t have to be a hassle! Buy all your floral needs at Price Chopper/ Market 32 Floral Department!
Mia Teal
Marketing Coordinator, Paid Media
It’s National Corn Month, and we think that is something to celebrate! We’ve been partnering with local corn farmers here in the Northeast since 1932. Corn is one of our region’s top agricultural products. Our farmers love to eat this local treat fresh-off-the-stalk, and so do we!
Leading up to the month of July, our corn takes quite a journey. During the month of May when local farmers are tending to their fields, we will tap into Florida’s sweet corn season and supply those delicous ears. Fast forward to June and we start to move up the coast into the state of Georgia. While we are getting corn from here, our local corn has started to sprout. Exciting things await!
Finally, the month of July comes and we are popping with excitement (pun intended)! The first half of the month, we move even further up the coast to North Carolina and Delaware, since their corn season is in full swing. However, by mid to late July, our local sweet corn season is finally underway! This lasts only until mid September, but we enjoy every minute of our corn season. Let’s take a look at a few local suppliers.
Shaul Farms:
We are proud to partner with Shaul Farms located in Fultonham, New York. Amazingly, eleven generations have worked on this farm. They produce cider and vegetables.
Paul Mazza Farms:
We are proud to partner with Paul Mazza Farms located in Colchester, Vermont. For 38 years, Paul Mazza Farms’ goal is to connect the community to fresh local foods.
Check out some summertime recipes you can make with our locally sourced corn!
Mexican Street Corn: Have you ever tried Mexican Street Corn? Well, now you can with this easy and delicious recipe!
home.grown. Corn Fritters: This meal is similar to fried dough with a savory cornmeal-based batter. Try our PICS Cheese varieties or PICS Maple Syrup to go on top.
Grilled Shrimp, Corn, & Tomato Rolls with Lime Mayo: This will be a summertime favorite! Top with fresh cilantro for a burst of flavor.
Summertime Steak Lettuce Wraps: Craving a taco but don’t want the shell? Try these lettuce wraps with similar ingredients as your traditional taco. As always, feel free to add or omit any item.
Mia Teal
Marketing Coordinator, Paid Media
It’s June – do you know what that means? It is National Dairy Month! We are celebrating all the creamy goodness of dairy this month, ranging from milk, cheese, ice cream, and everything in between! At Price Chopper and Market 32, we have a surplus of dairy products to offer, including our new PICS pint ice cream! Be sure to check them out at the end of this article.
National Dairy Month was originally just “National Milk Month” as a way to encourage people to drink more milk. However, this eventually became “National Dairy Month” by the National Dairy Council as a way to promote the benefits that dairy products provide to us. We have so many recipes on our website for all our dairy lovers! Let’s take a look at a few…
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches: Nothing beats an ice cream sandwich on a warm summer day! Be sure to check out our PICS ice cream for a wide variety of flavors.
Baked Buffalo Cheese Sticks: The best appetizer right at your fingertips!
Caramel Milkshake: This four-ingredient shake is sure to be a fan favorite!
Pepperoni & Mushroom Pizza: In a hurry? No need to worry! This pizza is easy to make and perfect for celebrating National Dairy Month!
Lucky Charms Frozen Yogurt Pie: Looking for something fun to make for your July 4th celebration? This frozen yogurt pie is flavorful and festive. Beware: This will go fast!
Philly Cheesesteak Dip: Take your homemade dip to the next level with this Philly Cheesesteak Dip!
Mia Teal
E-Commerce Marketing Department
Happy Pi Day from Price Chopper and Market 32! Pi Day is a celebration of the irrational number pi (π). This Greek letter is used to represent the ratio of the circumference of any given circle to its diameter. Why is this holiday specifically today? The first 3 numbers of pi are 3.14, hence the date of March 14th. Ironically, today also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday!
Pi Day was founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw and has been celebrated ever since. Many math classes will celebrate Pi Day with pie of course, but also with cake, cookies, and more. What a great way to make math fun!
What kind of pie will you buy today? At Price Chopper and Market 32, we have a variety of pies in our bakery section, including apple pie, blueberry pie, pumpkin pie, and more! We also have all the best ingredients if you would like to make your own pie today. Check out some berry-good pie recipes below.
Bumbleberry Pie: What even is a “bumbleberry?” Bumbleberries are not actually a berry, rather, a variety of berries. For this pie we used a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, making for a sweet & flavorful pie.
Skillet Pear Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream: Have you ever seen a recipe for pear pie? Well, now you have! Be sure to pear this pie with PICS vanilla ice cream & PICS whipped cream!
Caramel Apple Pie: Like a caramel apple, this caramel apple pie is a dream you will be sure to love!
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the largest organization of nutrition professionals in the world. March is National Nutrition Month®, a now 50-year-old education and awareness campaign highlighting the transformational power of food and nutrition, and March 8th is the annual celebration day for the Registered Dietitian-Nutritionists (RDNs) that make up most of its members. The theme this year is “Fuel for the Future,” which highlights that sustainability and nutrition are always connected.
Over 100,000 registered dietitian-nutritionists (RDNs) in the United States work to bring delicious, nutritious, top-quality science-based information to the table and improve wellbeing in their communities. RDNs work in our hospitals, schools, nursing homes, private practice, primary and specialty health care, public health agencies, hunger organizations, colleges and universities, institutional food service systems, food and water systems policy, college and professional sports programs, health insurance companies, telemedicine, food and nutrition data systems, app development, research, media, culinary medicine and chef training programs, medical and pharmaceutical colleges, grocery stores, non-profits, worksite wellness programs, restaurants, and farming, produce, and food product companies and more – the list is enormous, and their work benefits us all.
The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in September 2022 was focused on nutrition security and policy as key opportunities to support homeland security, improve equity, enhance local food systems, and reduce healthcare costs for chronic illnesses impacted by nutrition. Individuals from all walks of life are looking more closely at the quality of food, reducing food waste, supporting farms by eating local, and assisting those with fewer resources access healthy food. In every setting, RDNs are contributing their passion and commitment to ensuring sound science and practical food strategies are positively impacting the food environment and nutritional health of adults and children across the country.
I am very proud to be part of this profession, and perpetually in awe of the work my peers and colleagues do. Congratulations and thank you to them all on our National Day of Recognition!