Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern  Scarey Pumpkins BOO! Did Halloween sneak up on you too? Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Growing up I took every single excuse I could to wear a princess dress and ran with it. (I mean there was also the free candy thing, but who doesn’t love running around in a poofy ball gown?) Now that I’m 23 and trick or treating is no longer an option, more creative measures have to be taken to celebrate this spooky and sugar high inducing holiday. For adults, even those who are reluctantly adults, there a couple of fairly simple and budget friendly options that can be planned out in almost no time at all! The Scary Movie Marathon A movie marathon is an easy and fairly cheap way to get the spook factor in. Even though video rental stores are no longer a thing, RedBox sometimes has seasonal offerings and for around $1 a night you can’t really go wrong. Another option is to ask your friends to bring over their favorite scary movie DVDs if they have any. I personally don’t believe any scary movie marathon is complete without The Shining, a film from the Scream series, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. I am sure there are some horror aficionados out there who will disagree with me, but these are the scary movies I grew up not being allowed to watch, so obviously they became my favorites….well at least once they stopped giving me nightmares. Now for those who are feeling nostalgic I would recommend the Halloweentown series or Nightmare Before Christmas (or really anything done by Tim Burton since he has mastered the art of being creepy and awesome without being terrifying.) And there is simply no such thing as a Halloween movie marathon without Hocus Pocus. I don’t care what you are doing when Hocus Pocus is on TV, you sit down and watch. iStock_000048683394_MediumBut the pillowcase full of free candy is still missing. Now this is the true tragedy of growing up. What hits the sweet spot (see what I did there) is inviting your friends over for a spooktacular movie marathon with Halloween themed baked goods and snacks. One of my favorite Halloween time movie snacks is this sweet and salty popcorn recipe featuring peanut butter and the sugary goodness known as candy corn!  Now I have personally decided that the calories from candy corn consumed in October simply do not count. So I recommend adding it to as many snacks as possible such as Halloween themed trail mix and cupcakes. The Halloween Party Now if you do not think it is fun to watch movies that are meant to terrify you, a more low-key affair may be more your style. And by low-key I mean anything from a few friends over to a raging costume party. Halloween can also be the perfect excuse to throw a masquerade party(I’ve always wanted to go to a masquerade party so I’m just throwing that out there.) At any Halloween event costumes should be required, it does not hinder your cool factor to dress up, in my opinion it makes you more awesome, but let’s talk about planning this thing. No matter how extravagant your Halloween affair may be (or how big your party budget is) there are plenty of easy food and decoration ideas, using a lot of things you may already have around the house. Creepy pictures can be printed out and put into the frames you already have, and food dye can go a long way for making regular drinks look like something you’d find in the Haunted Mansion. Instead of having all the lights in your house on, save some electricity and use candles where you can.Black Label with Halloween Party on Wood Painting items is also a fairly cheap way to decorate, but is obviously more permanent. Using black paint on every-day items can go a long way in creating a spooky feel for your party. Try painting your pumpkins in addition to carving them and I’m sure you will win spookiest house on the block. (Plus make sure you save the pumpkin seeds while carving, you can bake them to make a tasty snack!) Whether it’s black painted pumpkins, frames, or other items, matte black paint can make decorations look eerily goth, but not childish (chalkboard paint is another cool option here, since you can then write and draw on the decorations as well.) As you may have guessed with my ramblings about the black paint, black is my go to decorating theme for Halloween (and let’s face it, for everyday life), but I’m also a girl who happens to love glitter. A can of black glitter spray paint costs around $4 and can be purchased at any home improvement or craft store. I personally believe that glitter can be added to almost any decoration depending on the feel you are going for with your party, but beware once you put glitter on one thing it will get everywhere, there’s just no stopping it. As always check out our Pinterest board for more holiday recipes and ideas! Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets Italy has passionate food traditions, many of them specific to a region and originating centuries ago. Such is the case with San Pellegrino mineral water – obtained from a natural spring in the town of San Pellegrino, the naturally effervescent mineral water has been bottled by residents for over 600 years. In 1899, that morphed into a business to bottle and distribute the water, which is the same company today. Time marched on, and flavors were added to the natural soda, beginning in 1932 with orange juice (Aranciata orangeade). The flavors expanded the line over the years, including the very popular grapefruit and blood orange varieties. In between a juice and a soda, they are great refreshers, a nice surprise in cocktails, and can be a way to offer children something special to drink at holidays. iStock_000012168328_LargeCheese is a world of heritage, flavor and tradition in Italy. We have some truly premium Italian cheeses such as Sottocenere, a sheep’s milk cheese that follows a Venetian preservation tradition of aging under ash. Slivers of black truffles are embedded through Sottocenere, and the ash is mixed with spices, such as nutmeg, cloves, anise, and cinnamon, which subtly convey their flavors as well. You can also enjoy Pecorino Ginepro, a hard artisan cheese with a fruity/salty/savory flavor that comes from the juniper berries and balsamic vinegar it is submerged in while aging. The cheese is white with a burgundy rind, a beautiful and delicious addition to your table.  Taralli crackers will remind you of a cross between a bagel and a pretzel. It can be sweet or savory, and comes in different sizes. Serve them all together on a tray with fresh grapes, olives, and dried apricots or cherries – a lovely tapas sampling of Mediterranean flavors. Make everything special when you share premium Butter of Parma – easy to swap into any recipe, it can elevate any meal. Then, gelato, traditional Italian ice cream, crowns our celebration of Italian foods with a wonderful finish. Lower fat than American ice cream, it is slow churned, denser and has a more intense flavor. The balance of sugar and water in gelato ensures it never completely freezes – it is meant to have a creamy texture between hard frozen and soft serve ice creams. Gelato comes in a wonderful variety of unique flavors. Enjoy it year-round as a treat that can truly transport you – Vive Italia! Written by Molly Zingler, New York Apple Association With so many great-tasting apple varieties available this time of year, it is possible to snack on a different flavor every day for weeks – if not months!  New York growers produce more apple varieties than any other state, so when you’ve had your fill of fresh fruit then start baking with them. You turned off your oven for the summer, so now that fall is here let’s ease back into baking gently. First, here are our tips to lay the foundation – crust, if you will – for the best baking experience: Now let’s bake something! The pinnacle of baking with apples is the two-crust apple pie, but that can also be daunting for many bakers. If you don’t feel ready to tackle a two-cruster, start with a crostada. This rustic, free-form pastry tastes just as good as its more formal cousin.  We’ve made it even easier by calling for a ready-made crust. When you’re ready to move up to a two-crust pie, find that recipe (and many others) at www.nyapplecountry.com/recipes. For our advice on which varieties are best for baking, visit www.nyapplecountry.com/apple-country-useage-chart. Apple Walnut CrostadaApple-Walnut-Crostada Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Place apple slices, sugar, walnuts, flour and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and toss well.  Transfer piecrust to baking sheet. Spoon apple mixture into center of piecrust and fold up sides of pastry to capture apples and juices. Dot with butter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serves 8. Nutrition Info: Each serving contains 320 calories, 51 g carbohydrate, (4 g fiber), 2 g protein, 14 g fat, (5 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, and 125 mg sodium. Photo credit: U.S. Apple Association, www.usapple.org. About Molly Zingler Molly comes by her apple props honestly. In addition to being marketing director for New York Apple Association, she grew up in New York Apple Country and recently married a New York state apple grower. About New York Apple Association, Inc. A nonprofit agricultural trade association based in Fishers, N.Y., NYAA represents the state’s commercial apple growers. The association supports profitable growing and marketing of New York apples through increasing demand for apples and apple products, representing the industry at state and federal levels, and serving as the primary information source on New York apple-related matters. For more information, visit www.nyapplecountry.com. Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern  October has always been one of my favorite months. Fall is now in full swing, the days are getting chiller, the leaves are changing, and there are two more beers to try at Price Chopper and Market 32! There’s a great line up with a different tasting event each weekend in October! So make sure your growlers are empty! You won’t want to miss out on any of these brews! First up is a Capitol Region favorite, Nine Pin Cider. Brewed in Albany, NY Nine Pin selects all of their apples from orchards in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley area. Nine Pin will be featured at the following locations on the 2nd and 3rd of October at these locations: October 2nd, 2015 4-7pm October 3rd, 2015 4-7pm On October 9th and 10th we will be featuring the Peroni Brewery from Italy and has been in existence since 1846. The original recipe is still used to this day and is features fruity and floral notes. Peroni will be featured at tastings at the following locations: October 9th, Peroni_Logo2015 5-7pm October 10th, 2015 2-4pm Peak Organic Brewing Company is next to be on tap. Brewed in Maine, their IPA is brewed with three different varieties of hops that provide citrus and floral notes instead of the bittering hops typically found in IPAs. To try Pale Organic Brewing Company’s IPA stop by one of the following stores: October 15th, 2015 October 16th, 2015download October 18th, 2015 brewery-ommegang-85412382 Ommegang Is back with their first ever American-style IPA! Currently the Nirvana IPA is only available in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and we have a special tasting for one day only! Stop by the stores listed below to try this brew which is produced at Ommegang’s sister brewery in Kanas City, October 17th, 2015 Magic-Hat-Wilhelm-Scream-Pumpkin-Ale Now you can’t have beer tastings in October without at least one pumpkin beer. This month’s pumpkin variety is brought to you by Magic Hat featuring Wilhelm Scream. Wilhelm Scream includes pumpkin, cinnamon, and caramel malts to feature all the best of what fall has to offer. Try it October 23rd and 24th at these locations: October 23rd, 2015 4-6pm October 24th, 2015 11am-2pm Follow Price Chopper and Market 32 on Twitter for the dates and times of tastings later this month! Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern  Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew, is the beginning of the Jewish year will be observed September 13th through September 15th. Rosh Hashanah is one of the two High Holy Days in the Jewish religion (the other being Yom Kippur) and there are many traditions and rituals that take place during the holiday. As with every major Jewish holiday, women and girls light candles on each evening of Rosh Hashanah and recite the Jewish blessing Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” One Rosh Hashanah tradition involving food is to eat apples dipped in honey to represent a sweet New Year and round challah bread to represent the cyclical nature of a year. Raisins or apples are also sometimes added to the challah bread to represent the sweetness of a new year in addition to the apples dipped in honey. iStock_000013879490_MediumDifferent families have different traditions surrounding the holiday that have been passed down throughout the years. After the traditional apples dipped in honey and challah bread are shared there are many different foods prepared for the Rosh Hashanah celebration. Main dishes can vary depending on what your guests enjoy. Some families enjoy chicken dishes, while others may have a more traditional brisket. Side dishes can vary from matzo balls and other traditional foods (Gefilte Fish anyone?), to other dishes that complement your main dish. There’s often roasted vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, but tart foods are generally avoided on this holiday with an emphasis on sweet flavors. As with the apples dipped in honey, sweet flavors are represented throughout the dinner to symbolize the desire for good things in the upcoming year.  One of those sweet side dishes you will see featured in most Rosh Hashanah dinners are tzimmes. There are many different variations of this dish, but they are all delicious! If you aren’t sure where to start with your tzimmes here is an easy recipe to follow! Apples often appear on the dessert menu during the Rosh Hashanah holiday both because of their symbolic significance and because apples often taste sweeter in the fall. There can be everything from apple cakes, pies, or tarts! It ultimately depends on what your family likes to eat. A fun idea is to have people bring different deserts so there is variety, but it also relieves some of the pressure off the host or hostess to prepare a fabulous meal. For more Rosh Hashanah dinner inspiration check out our Pinterest board! We wish all of our customers observing Rosh Hashanah a Happy New Year! L’shanah Tovah! Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets “Cool as a cucumber” – you can be all that enjoying the farm- fresh cucumbers in the stores right now from farmers like Walter Czajkowski and Mary McNamara at Plainville Farm in Plainville, CT. Cucumbers have a clean, mild flavor and they can star or be a supporting player in salads, salsas, and pickles. Have you ever made your own pickles? It is so easy – try Mary’s easy bread and butter pickle recipe. Everything you need, including the mason jars, are in your store. Sterilize 3 jars by covering them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Pack cucumbers and onions in layers a wide mouth mason jar. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Store in the refrigerator. For the first 2 days shake jar to mix well. Enjoy! Those same cucumbers are great in a cucumber and onion salad – just slice cucumbers and onions thinly (try sweet onions for this salad!). Add Ken’s Light Italian dressing and serve. Couldn’t be easier! kens-logo-presentation Summer is also grilling time, so putting together a quick and easy grilled meal for friends and family is fun and fresh! Peppers are also coming in – our friends at Blackhorse farms have beautiful peppers in the stores, and they can be enjoyed in this super summer recipe from Eating Well. The shrimp is on sale, and all of the ingredients are waiting for you. https://www.pricechopper.com/recipes/9816/Grilled-Shrimp-Cocktail-with-Yellow-Gazpacho-Salsa Delicious, and my favorite part – it is all really good and good for you. Enjoy! Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern It’s that time of year again! School is starting up and the lazy days of summer are gone for another year. As a partner to local communities, Price Chopper believes in giving back to schools and helping to enhance the learning process for local students. The Tools for Schools program runs from now until March 26th, 2016. At the end of the school year Price Chopper will distribute $500,000 in school supplies among schools in the program. Earning points is easy, once your AdvantEdge card is registered into the program online or at the Guest Services desk, every dollar you spend is one point for your school of choice (alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, lottery tickets, gift cards, stamps, tickets to go, tax, and bottle deposits are excluded) earns points. Double points are earned every Price Chopper or Central Market Classic brand product purchased. You can see how many points you’ve earned for you school on the bottom of your Price Chopper receipt every time you shop! TFSlogo-blue.epsThere will be opportunities and contests built into the program for schools to earn bonus points throughout the year! Make sure to visit Price Chopper Facebook page on September 1st for the opportunity to earn 5,000 bonus points! Your school’s coordinator will comment on the Tools for Schools post made that day with the name of your school and the schools code (the code is what is used to register your AdvantEdge card into the program.) Schools receiving over 100 likes will earn 5,000 bonus points! Coordinators! Make sure you have your bonus points checklist handy so you never miss an opportunity to earn bonus points for your school! As part of the Tools for Schools program, Price Chopper will be hosting our annual school supply drive.Now through September 12th, school supplies you purchase can be donated by placing them into the bins in the front of your local store. At the end of the drive, the Salvation Army will collect the items and distribute them to students in need. To check if your school is enrolled, simply stop at the Guest Services desk or check at pricechopper.com. If your school is not yet in the program, talk to school officials and they can get the school enrolled in the program. Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets There is so much to talk about! Summer squash is the star this week, and we have it from our farmer partners at Reeves Farm, Shaul’s Farm, Paul Mazza Farms, Davandjer Farms, Black Horse Farms, Hoover’s Produce, and Plainville Farm. I have visited many of these farms – this year is a good harvest for summer squash.iStock_000003950671_Medium Yellow summer squash and zucchini are super versatile – mild flavored, they can be served grilled, sautéed, ribboned (a beautiful presentation, and so easy to do with your usual handy kitchen peeler), or in salads; grated and added to quick bread batter, chopped in soup or pasta dishes – the possibilities are almost endless. These squash are low in calories, and high in Vitamin C. We also have some delicate and petite patty pan squash. Mild flavored like its cousins, patty pan adds great visual appeal to a meal. Patty pans also have a few different names – they can be called scallop squash, or button squash. Little kids call them flying saucers, and you can use that to get them to try a new vegetable! Heather Eckhardt at Kinderhook Creek Farm has shared a terrific zucchini appetizer recipe that is great for summer parties and will have your friends begging for the recipe. Heather Eckhardt’s Zucchini Appetizer Mix oil, eggs, Bisquick, parsley, salt and pepper together. Stir in zucchini. Spread onto a cookie sheet (with a high lip, or a jelly roll pan), single layer. Then layer the onion, pepper, and tomatoes, as though it were a pizza. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 – 35 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into squares with a pizza cutter. I slice squash up, and depending on how hot it is, grill them with olive oil and fresh basil in a grill pan over a low flame, or oven roast them the same way. All of the summer squashes can be made this way – fresh basil, a little sea salt to finish and you have the tastes of summer on your plate. Zucchini and yellow squash are great for kabobs with a delicious Certified Angus Beef steak. You can add some fresh herbs and spices in for a little extra flavor.Certified-Angus-Beef-logo Summer Sizzle Steak Combine dressing, mustard, herbs and ginger in a close-able plastic bag or bowl with a cover. Add meat and vegetables to the dressing. Allow to marinate for 2 hours, refrigerated. Thread onto wooden or metal skewers. Note – wooden skewers should be soaked in water for an hour before use. Grill kabobs 5 minutes each side until meat reaches desired doneness. Jerry_jamWritten by Jerry Golub, CEO  When I became CEO three years ago, it was not only an important moment in my life, but a milestone in the history of our company—the transition to a third generation of family leadership in a company that was founded 80 years ago by two brothers who aspired to make a difference in peoples’ lives.  Ben (my grandfather) and Bill Golub led the company for 40 years, literally building something from nothing.  Their sons, Lewis (my father) and Neil, led the company for another 40 years, building on their fathers’ vision.  They grew the company significantly, and although we are still fairly small by industry standards, they set the stage for our success in a very competitive and constantly changing industry.  We are proud to be one of few family-led companies that have made it to the third generation. This is a huge accomplishment and a testament to all of the talented and committed people who have made contributions along the way. So now what? Simply put, we honor our past and focus squarely on the future. As many people know, we’re in the process of making a number of significant changes to ensure that our company meets the needs of our customers for years to come.  I’ll write more about those changes in future blogs.  But I’d be remiss if I didn’t begin by focusing on the context for these changes—why we’re even here to begin with. Financial success is a goal of most businesses, and we are certainly no exception.  However, I genuinely believe that a family-led business is uniquely positioned to make a difference in the world.  It may sound corny, but part of what connects me to this company is knowing that we are guided by our founding brothers’ strong values and belief that we could make a difference in peoples’ lives. One of the things I love about our business is that it touches nearly everyone.  As a result, I have the advantage of hearing from lots of people about their experiences in our stores.  I hear the good, the bad, and sometimes even the ugly.  And frankly, the incredible connection we have to our customers’ lives never ceases to amaze me.  We help families enjoy daily meals together.  We also help them celebrate special occasions and gather together in times of need. We provide nutritious, fresh foods and information that helps people eat well and stay healthy.  We help our customers meet their budgets for food and other important products.  And so much more. Through all these conversations, I’ve come to learn that we do make a difference in peoples’ lives and that our “higher purpose,” is to help people feed and care for themselves and their families.  Bigger than any one of us, our higher purpose is about our place in the world.  It’s also something that every one of our teammates helps us accomplish every day.  It’s one of the biggest reasons why I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this company, and more committed than ever to helping us achieve the vision that established this company eighty years ago.  I don’t think there is a better way of honoring our past than incorporating it into our future. Musical Inspiration A higher purpose can be important to companies or individuals.  James Taylor, whose music I’ve loved for decades, certainly felt that way when he wrote this song.  The third verse makes me think of those wonderful summer night James Taylor concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) over the years.  By the way, James has been known to visit our store in Lenox, MA from time to time.  🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxICxWu8vGs&list=PL0gxBcF2Ofh4QRU6FUNdy9BzLsdqGckH1

Written by Jane N. Golub

Director In-Store Marketing Programs

FRESH GUARD by EFFERDENTfresh-guard-wipes-cleaner.png.354x308_q85

Fresh Guard by Efferdent is available in a 20 Wipes package especially designed for:

Daytime wearers, who are looking for a quick clean for their retainer, mouthguard or removable braces.

Fresh Guard Wipes can be used anywhere.  Simply wipe the device – no water needed.

This is ideal for after meals and Wipes can be used anytime.

Fresh Guard by Efferdent Soak is for all wearers who are looking for a deep clean at home.

Simply soak the retainer, mouthguard or removable braces for five minutes with warm water, then rinse.  This should be done daily and you can soak with Fresh Guard by Efferent while you are taking your shower.

Using Fresh Guard by Efferent Wipes and/or Soak will not damage the unique materials your dental devices are made of.

Look for Fresh Guard by Efferdent Wipes and Fresh Guard by Efferdent Soak in the Oral Health section.

seasaltcarmKEMPS FROZEN YOGURT

New Kemps Sea Salt Caramel Truffle is here!  Kemps, the #1-selling frozen yogurt brand in America, has the smooth-and-creamy taste of ice cream, but with less fat and fewer calories.  They have introduced a decadent new flavor and we think you’ll agree that Sea Salt Caramel Truffle – caramel frozen yogurt with caramel filled chocolate truffles, sea salt and ribbons of caramel is a great addition to the other Kemps family-pleasing flavors you’ll find at Price Chopper:

Black Jack Cherry – made with real cherries

Vanilla – a creamy classic

Moose Tracks – smooth vanilla frozen yogurt swirled with Moose Tracks Fudge and mixed with creamy peanut butter cups

Treat your family to one of these delicious flavors today!

Look for Kemps Frozen Yogurt in the Frozen aisle.