Mia Teal
Marketing Coordinator, Paid Media
The Christmas holiday is a beautiful time of year. For many people, ornaments are continuously collected from their children while in grade school, family trips, and other memories throughout the years. No matter your age, you are never too old to create an ornament to hang on the tree. Let’s take a look at making meaningful ornaments with food that you can purchase right at your local Price Chopper and Market 32 store. This is a great family activity that will bring laughs and beautiful memories.
Salt Dough Gingerbread Men
As the name suggests, these gingerbread men are going to be salty, so not ideal for eating! They are, however, ideal for ornament-making. The salt helps preserve the ornaments. After all, these gingerbread men are made for hanging on the tree – not for eating!
What you will need:
1/4 cup ground ginger
1/4 cup ground cloves
1 cup salt
3 cups flour
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
Parchment Paper
Baking Pan
Twine/ribbon/string
1 straw
Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together & slowly add the water. Roll the dough so that it is about 1/4 inch thick and create your desired shape. Use a straw to poke a hole in the top for the string later on. Bake at 250°F for 1-2 hours and let cool. Once dried, decorate and hang!
Melted Peppermints
This craft is simple, yet intriguing! You can use red or green peppermints here, or even a mix of both!
What you will need:
Peppermint Candies
Cookie Cutter
Parchment Paper
Toothpick/straw
Twine/ribbon/string
Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with cookie cutters of choice, and spray the inside of each cutter. Line the peppermints inside the cookie cutters and bake at 350°F for 3-9 minutes, but please pay attention to how quickly they are melting. Once the candies have melted together, remove from the oven. Gently use a toothpick or straw to poke a hole in the top of the ornament and let them completely harden. Remove the cutter from melted mints and hang!
We wish you a safe & happy holiday season!
Haleigh Eustis
Floral Intern
Happy December 12th! Did you know that today is National Poinsettia Day? These beautiful red flowers are a holiday staple, as their vibrant color and immense beauty bring life to any space you decide to place it! With the holiday season in full swing, shopping for endless amounts of friends, family, and even coworkers can tend to feel stressful and overwhelming. Poinsettia is a flower that stands for joy and celebration, which makes it the perfect gift for the loved ones in your life! Poinsettias are known for their staple red shades, but this Christmas flower comes in various colors including white, pink, burgundy, yellow, purple and more.
The poinsettia flower is native to the beautiful country of Mexico. These flowers have been cultivated for centuries and were used by the Aztecs for their natural red dye in clothing. As the years had passed, in 1827, botanist Joel Poinsett took a trip to Mexico where he had seen this beautiful flower. Upon his return to South Carolina, his home state, he brought a few Poinsettias to cultivate and very quickly this flower gained popularity within the states.
Though the Poinsettia is a largely popular holiday flower, you may be wondering how. The poinsettia flower stems from the Mexican legend of Pepita and her Christmas weeds. On Christmas Eve, a young girl named Pepita had no gift for her Christmas service. Encouraged by her cousin, she went to collect a bundle of weeds and placed them on a nativity set. Within seconds, the weeds were said to have bloomed into the beautiful Poinsettia flowers that we are familiar with today! Though these flowers are a seasonal plant in the states, they are the second most popular potted plant sold within a year.
Poinsettias are beautiful in all shapes, shades and sizes which is why Market 32 and Price Chopper have them readily available in our floral section during the holiday season. Shop in store for our beautifully arranged Poinsettias or use our online services, DoorDash and Instacart. Our online ordering allows customers to send personalized cardettes for any occasion which is sure to warm the hearts of whoever is receiving the potted plant!
Shop for the holiday season, stress free! Explore Price Chopper/Market 32 Floral Department for all your holiday gifts.
Mia Teal
Marketing Coordinator, Paid Media
‘Tis the season to sip and savor! As the holidays approach, there’s no better time to elevate your festive gatherings with festive drink recipes. Whether you’re hosting a cozy family get-together, a spirited office party, or simply looking to add a touch of merriment to your evenings by the fire, Price Chopper and Market 32 have you covered! From hot chocolate to cocktails and everything in between, we have everything you need to craft the perfect drink. Cheers to making this holiday season the most spirited one yet!
Warm Drink Recipes (non-alcoholic):
Curl up by the fireplace with a delicious warm beverage in hand! Try one of these delicious drinks below.
Cold Drink Recipes (non-alcoholic):
Price Chopper and Market 32 offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages on our website! Be sure to check them out.
Spiced Pomegranate Mulled Cider with Cinnamon-Ginger Stirring Spoons
Cold Drink Recipes (alcoholic):
Enjoy all the holidays have to offer with these delicious alcholic drinks!
Getting the party started early? Check out these mimosa recipes!
Haleigh Eustis
Floral Intern
The holidays are right around the corner, which means flashy lights, colorful ornaments, shiny tinsel and blow ups of Frosty the Snowman will be in every direction that you turn! Though the flashiness of the decorations can be beautiful, sometimes you may want to go back and just enjoy the simplicity of a natural green wreath.
Wreaths are a beautiful and classic decoration that can be adorned on windows, doors, fireplaces and practically anywhere you can think of. That being said, as beautiful as wreaths are, they can tend to look a bit plain if you’re not a fan of the all-natural look.
But, what if you still want a natural looking wreath with decorations that aren’t flashy? We can help! Decorating a holiday wreath doesn’t have to be boring. Use items from around your house to create a beautifully unique wreath that will catch the eyes of anyone.
We’re going to make two different types of garland to wrap around your beautiful wreath with supplies that you can find in your house, or yard!
Garland One: a classic garland strand that is easy and delicious to make! All you need is popcorn (preferably not buttered) and cranberries. This is a classic staple to any holiday time décor . . . and it’s easy to make as well. Pop your popcorn and have thread and a sewing needle at the ready. Once you have acquired your ingredients, lace your popcorn and cranberries in any pattern that you like. The great part about garland is that it’s all up to you! Design and create the perfect strand of garland that will look great on your wreath.
Garland Two: this is a strand of garland that is a bit more difficult to create, but still equally as beautiful. All you need are dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, small pinecones and twine. You may be asking; how do I make dried oranges? Don’t worry, it’s simple:
Take an orange (preferably naval, or blood orange) and cut it into various wheels. Pat your citrus dry with a paper towel and arrange on a baking sheet. Now this is the boring part . . . place the sheet in the oven at 170 degrees for six to seven hours! Rotate the baking sheet every two to three hours to prevent burning. This is a tedious step, but it will ensure completely dried oranges and a wonderful smelling home!
Now, take your dried oranges and weave twine in and out its dried flesh (be careful not to tear anything).
Now that we have dried oranges, it’s time to put everything together! Use your twine and–to your liking–combine your cinnamon sticks, pinecones and oranges.
Making decorations for the winter season is easy. There are plenty of ingredients and supplies to make exciting and eye-catching wreaths for the whole winter season!
Buy all your wreath needs at Price Chopper/Market 32!
One of the sweetest parts of celebrating the holiday season is baking cookies with family and friends. At Price Chopper and Market 32, we love these treats as much as you do and have many different favorites of our own. Whether they’re family traditions or simply the most satisfying to our sweet tooth, we are pleased to share some our holiday favorites with you!
Our teammates are big fans of peanut butter, especially when it comes to Christmas
Teammates Celina R. and Alison P. from our Storrs, CT store!
When it comes to baking a pie, mastering the crust is key! While you can purchase pre-made pie crusts in the dairy & frozen section of our stores, making a pie crust from scratch will make your pie the star of the dessert table! Below are some tried & true tips to help get you started!
- Your butter & water must be cold; even frozen butter works as long as you cut it into cubes before freezing
- Measure ingredients carefully to prevent a tough, greasy or soggy crust
- Cut the fat into the flour just until the size of peas (use a fork or pastry blender)
- Handle pie dough as little as possible to ensure a flaky and tender crust
- Chill pie dough for several hours to tenderize the dough, and prevent shrinkage during baking
- Allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling
- Roll dough from the center out to a 1/8̋ thickness or less
- To place the pie crust in the pie pan, carefully loosen it from the cutting board; fold it over the rolling pin. Unroll it into the pan and press down lightly
- Trim any excess dough, leaving approximately ½ ̋ for fluting the edge
- Flute the edge by pinching dough between the thumb and forefinger or seal the edge by pressing the dough with a fork against the rim of the pie pan
- When baking a crust without the filling, prick the dough with a fork and place dry beans or rice in the bottom to prevent shrinkage while baking. Bake in a preheated 450°F oven for 10 -12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- For the crust to be baked with a filling, do not prick the crust. For pies with juicy fillings, brush the bottom of the crust with egg white or melted butter to prevent a soggy crust.
- For pies that bake more than 30 minutes, place a rim of foil around the edge of the crust during the first half of baking to prevent over-browning
- 2 PICS eggs
- 1 cup PICS sugar
- ½ cup Price Chopper flour
- ½ cup PICS butter, melted
- 1 T. PICS vanilla
- 1 cup PICS pecans, chopped
- 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 pastry shell, unbaked
PC: How long does it take from seed for a tree to grow full-sized?
RH: It usually takes about 12-20 years from seed to grow a full-sized tree. When planting new trees we usually transplant trees that are already about 5 years old and 14 inches tall.
PC: When do you start cutting down trees for the Christmas season?
RH: I usually start cutting down trees the day after Halloween, however with the warmer weather this year we had to continually put off cutting down the trees. Every tree must go through 2-3 hard frosts or “killing frosts” before they’re ready for cutting and bring home. After 2-3 hard frosts the trees enter dormancy, when trees are cut in dormancy they last longer in household temperatures and hold onto their needles.
PC: How long did you have to wait to cut down trees this year as a result of the warmer temperatures?
RH: This year we started cutting trees down a few days before Thanksgiving, and I was able to start delivering them the day after Thanksgiving.
PC: How many new trees do you plant each year?
RH: About 3,000 new trees every year.
PC: What growing methods do you use for your Christmas trees?
RH: No chemicals, sprays or fertilizers are used. The farm is USDA GAP [Good Agricultural Procedures] Certified. GAP ensures safe, environmentally friendly growing practices, regardless of the crop. We voluntarily go through this audit to verify the produce and trees we grow are handled and stored in the safest way possible.
PC: What’s your favorite variety of tree to grow?
RH: Balsam fir. Balsam fir trees are indigenous to the area (since they are native to the area they grow fast than other varieties) and they hold up the longest once cut and put indoors. An added bonus to growing balsam fir trees is that the deer do not like to nibble on them unlike other varieties!
PC: What is your favorite part of growing Christmas Trees?
RH: My favorite part of growing Christmas trees takes place in the summer time. After a long day on the farm attending to the other crops [Richie also grows berries, corn, and other vegetables] is mowing in between the rows of trees. I go out after dinner when it’s still light out and everyone who works on the farm with me has gone home. Mowing in between the trees is very peaceful, quiet, and I have a beautiful view of the mountains.
PC: What are some tips you could offer for keeping a healthy tree during the holiday season?
RH: When you get your tree home, cut about an inch off the base. When the trees are first cut sap starts to bleed and forms a cement-like layer along the base of the tree preventing it from taking in any water.
PC: How often should you water your Christmas tree?
RH: You should check to make sure the base is full every one to two days. A tree can use up to a quart of water a day!
PC: How should trees be disposed of, once the holidays are over?
RH: I recommend checking to see if there are any local ordinances in place. Many towns recycle Christmas trees either into mulch to be used in gardens and parks or are used to make barriers to prevent soil erosion.
We would like to thank Richie Hourihan for being a partner with us and for taking the time to share his knowledge about harvesting trees. We love being able to provide locally grown products to our customers and that would not be possible without farmers like Richie.
From our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas.