Happy Octoberfest!
In 1810, Munich, Germany held its very first Oktoberfest festival. Originally a celebration of the marriage between King Louis I and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, the annual party has made its way across the world. Now, in the United States, each year we highlight seasonal beers, foods, and activities all in the spirit of Oktoberfest. Here are some of our favorites!
Pretzels: Soft pretzels are a prized possession at Oktoberfest. In 610 A.D., as the story goes, Italian monks made the first pretzels from leftover bread-dough scraps. The twisted knot shape was meant to symbolize arms folded in prayer, and in Europe they became considered a holy food with healing powers. This explains its presence at such a large European gathering. Eventually pretzels made their way to America and we fell in love with them, especially with a Dark Lager, IPA, Brown Ale, or even German Märzen beer! Check out the video below for our Bavarian Soft Pretzels recipe.
German Märzen / Oktoberfest Beer: Speaking of German Märzen, what exactly is it? It’s essentially the beer of Oktoberfest and the style that breweries in the United States refer to as Octoberfest. For a great-tasting take try Samuel Adams Octoberfest. For a tasty, authentic food pairing outside of soft pretzels try Beer Mustard Crusted Pork Loin, Pork Schnitzel, or German Potato Soup!
Würstl or Sausages: Whether it’s Bratwurst, Weisswurst, or any of the many other varieties, sausage is a major player in German and Oktoberfest cuisine. Of course, most often served with a generous amount of mustard and sauerkraut. If you’re looking for the perfect beer to pair with your sausage, a good tip is mildly spiced sausages work well with sweet malt flavors and light hops, compared to the spicier varieties which pair with darker and heavier brews.
Desserts: No festival is complete without dessert. At a typical Oktoberfest celebration, Strudels and Kuchen, the German word for cake, are appropriate. In America, seasonal pies are also fitting for the occasion. All excellent while paired with a nice Märzen!
Pumpkin Beer: Although it’s more American than German Oktoberfest, everything is pumpkin in the fall, including the beer. It’s a signature seasonal flavor that truly brings the essence of October to your tastebuds. We carry a number of different options in our beer aisle. Looking to enjoy pumpkin beer with a meal? We recommend slow-cooked meats, chicken and waffles, or chili. Maybe some pecan or apple pie for dessert. YUM!
Oktoberfest has taken off since the original festival in Munich. It’s inspired many across America and given us a number of awesome seasonal flavors. We love celebrating this annual tradition and hope you join us by trying one of these delicious food and beer pairings. For everything you need to enjoy your own Octoberfest visit your local store, or shop with us online!
Goofy Gourds with Jodie Fitz
Ready to have a little family fun making goofy gourds? Follow these easy steps…
- Go for a hunt through your local Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarket as a family and discover a whole lot of crafty fun.
- Bring your finds home.
- Make memories together creating goofy gourds!
It’s that easy.
Skies the limit…create a Cyclops, give your gourds hair and silly faces, dress them…whatever you envision you can create.
Suggested Supplies:
You can find everything you need at your local Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets. Here’s a list along with an aisle aide for your shopping fun
Seasonal and Produce
- Gourds
- Spider Web
School Supplies
- Construction Paper
- Rubber Cement (glue)
- Pipe Cleaners
- Tape
- Scissors
Baking Aisle
- Candy Eyes
- Cupcake liners
Card/Wrapping Supplies
- Tissue Paper
- Ribbon
MINIMIZE the MESS!
Take a Price Chopper/Market 32 paper bag. Fold it flat and create on top of the bag so that you can simply fold it up and toss out the mess when you are finished.
Beetle Juice
Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice! After you sip on this yummy blend you will definitely be calling out beetle juice three times.
It’s a fruity drink with just the right amount of fizz that’s fun and festive, but incorporates fresh, healthy ingredients .
Beetle Juice by Jodie Fitz
4 cups ice
2 lemons, fresh
2 cups water
½ cup PICS honey
½ cup PICS fresh frozen mixed berry medley
1 teaspoon PICS vanilla extract
1 teaspoon raspberry extract
Triple berry seltzer
PICS Raspberry sherbet (optional)
Cut the lemons in half. Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemons.
Note: If you have a citrus juicer simply squeeze the juice right into a blender pitcher. If you have to squeeze by hand, squeeze the juice into a glass or bowl first so that you can remove any seeds with a spoon before adding the juice to the blender.
Add the ice, lemon juice, water, honey, frozen mixed berry medley and extracts into the blender. Blend the ingredients together well.
Depending on the size of the glass, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the triple berry seltzer to add fizz to the mix. Fill the rest of the glass with the blended fruit mixture.
The kids! Remember there are always valuable lessons to learn in every recipe. Here are a few with Beetle Juice…
- Blending
- Blender safety
- Measuring ingredients
- Following Directions
- Extracting juice from lemons
- Exploring healthier alternatives
The Brains! If you want to add a little dessert style fun add sherbet brains to the mix. If you want to keep it healthier, freeze some of the beetle juice without the seltzer in ice molds of either brains or bugs and add them to your finished drink before serving.
Basic Witch Hat with Homemade Chips
Looking for a healthy Halloween nosh? Look no further. Check out these festive homemade witch hat chips served with an orange Pico de Gallo salsa. The entire combination is total yum!
Basic Witch Hat Homemade Chips by Jodie Fitz
1 package of cedar spinach wraps
1 witch hat cookie cutter
2 tablespoons PICS canola oil
PICS Sea salt
Nonstick cooking spray
Place the spinach wraps, one at a time, on a cutting board. Use a cookie cutter to cut out witch hat shapes. Each cedar wrap should yield approximately 8 hats depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Coat a nonstick baking sheet with the nonstick cooking spray.
Baste each hat lightly with the canola oil and then sprinkle them with sea salt.
Bake them for 5-7 minutes until the edges start to toast. Let them cook completely to finishing the crisping process.
Lessons and life skills to focus on when making this recipe with the kiddos:
- Basting
- Baking
- Oven safety
- Following directions
Homemade Pico de Gallo Salsa by Jodie Fitz
2 orange heirloom tomatoes, small
1 orange bell pepper
½ cup sweet onion, finely diced
1 small clove of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon PICS balsamic vinegar
Wash the tomatoes. Remove the top and bottom of the tomatoes. Slice the tomato and dice the tomato into small pieces.
Wash the bell pepper. Remove the top, seeds and insides of the peppers. Slice and dice the pepper.
Stir the diced tomatoes, the diced bell pepper, diced sweet onion, chopped cilantro and balsamic vinegar together.
Serve with your homemade witch chips.
Lessons and life skills to focus on when making this recipe with the kiddos:
- Dicing
- Knife safety
- Mincing
- Chopping
- Stirring
- Following directions
- Measuring ingredients
