Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern  One of my favorite holidays to celebrate growing up was Hanukkah. It may be because I am obsessed with potato latkes or the ridiculous amount of chocolate gelt I would get from my grandmother, but the eight night Festival of Lights remains one of my favorite holidays. Now I will get to the potato latkes later, but first let me tell you what Hanukkah is all about. This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 24^th, 2016. Hanukkah is an eight day celebration of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt. During the rededication there was only enough oil to light the menorah for a single day, the oil burned for eight days, which is why a candle is lit for every night of Hanukkah until all eight days are represented (as well as the shamash which is used to light the candles each night.)   Even though Hanukkah is a minor holiday in the Jewish religion it is widely celebrated in the United States and in Jewish communities around the world. Unlike some holidays there is no need to take off from work or to refrain from various activities. The Hanukkah celebration begins at sundown with the lighting of the candles in the menorah, with an additional candle being light for each night of the holiday. During the eight nights of Hanukkah some families exchange small gifts and play dreidel. The dreidel is a four sided top with a different Hebrew letter on each side. The letters stand for nes gadol hayah sham, a great miracle happened here. Even though the dreidel game may appear to be only a fun game (that has an awesome song that goes with it), it is actually a tribute to the Jewish people who had to study the Torah in private as a result of a series of laws making it illegal in the 2^nd Century BC. When patrolmen came by they would hide their Torah’s and spin tops to give the appearance that they were only gambling or playing a game and not participating in an illegal activity. The dreidel game is not only a lot of fun, but is also very easy to play. To play the dreidel game, each player starts with 10 or 15 coins (even though most people now play with chocolate gelt or another similar candy item and who doesn’t love winning candy?), depending on which symbol the dreidel lands on, you will lose or win more coins or candy. The game is played in rounds and at the beginning of each round each player puts a coin or piece of candy into the pot. Every time the pot is empty all players put in one coin or piece of candy. On your turn, you spin the dreidel and follow the instructions associated with each symbol. The symbols mean:

• Nun- nisht, nothing- nothing happens and it is the next person’s turn
• Gimel-gantz, “all” – the player takes the entire pot
• Hey-halb, “half”- the player takes half the pot
• Shin-shtel, “put in”- the player puts one coin in the pot

If you have no game pieces left you can either ask your fellow players for a loan or you are out of the game. When one player has won everything in the pot, the round is over. The number of rounds can vary depending on how many people are playing or family traditions, it is up to you to decide! The dreidel game can have slightly different rules depending on how they were handed down throughout the years, so it’s a good idea to establish the rules and number of rounds you will be playing with before you begin.   As with many Jewish holidays, the food served has significant meaning, and it also happens to be delicious. Since Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days in the menorah oily foods are made to represent the miracle. The two most popular food items prepared for Hanukkah are potato latkes and Sufganiot, which are deep fried doughnuts. The latkes are usually topped with applesauce or sour cream. Personally I think applesauce is the only option you need, but you can put whatever you like on your potato latkes. There is not always a large holiday meal during the eight nights of Hanukkah, but many families make an effort to spend time together. Whether it’s playing dreidel,  or singing Hanukkah songs the emphasis, is about celebrating together.   Check out our Pinterest Board for Hanukkah recipes and crafts! Have a Happy Hanukkah!       Written by Jane Golub Director In-Store Marketing Programs December 18, 2016

SEATTLE’S BEST COFFEE

Seattle’s Best Coffee makes the coffee.  You make it awesome.  They know it’s more than just a cup of coffee.  It’s your get-up-and-go.  Your reward.  Your “just the way I love it”. And inside their bags and boxes, you’ll find something delicious and crave-able .  This is the taste that Seattle’s Best Coffee has been known for since 197 0 – premium, Latin American beans roasted to perfection (if they do say so themselves), then carefully blended for a rich, smooth, just-right cup. Find your favorite – with their family of delicious blends, they’ve got a cup for every taste.  Smooth to bold, medium to dark, recharge to reward.  Find what you love at seattlesbest.com Look for Seattle’s Best Ground Coffee and K-Cups in the Coffee Aisle. Written by Maureen Murphy & Sarah Palmer Holiday Baking Holiday baking is a wonderful way to share the joy of the season with those we treasure. Start a new tradition with your family this year and bake some special holiday memories! Keep reading for helpful baking tips & time-saving ideas to help get you started! Baking Tips Making time to bake is often fun and rewarding, and can be done with proper organization and a few helpful hints.

• Bake in quantity and freeze whenever possible – baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 weeks
• Prepare cookie dough when you are able to steal a little extra time – prepared dough will keep at least 3 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 3 months
• Assemble all ingredients and equipment before beginning a recipe
• Line cookie sheets with parchment paper to help cut down on clean up
• While cookies are baking, prepare other cookie sheets to go in the oven
• Save time when shopping and measuring:
  • 1 lb. box confectioners’ sugar = 4 cups
  • 1 lb. box brown sugar = 2 cups, packed
  • 5 lb. bag granulated sugar = 10 cups
  • 5 lb. bag all-purpose flour = 20 cups
  • 1 cup cake flour = 7/8 cup sifted all-purpose
  • 1 lb. box seedless raisins = 2 3/4 cups
  • 6 extra-large eggs = 8 large eggs
• Allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature before using
• Measure ingredients carefully
• Do not over-mix cookie dough
• Chill dough well when instructed so the dough will be easier to work with
• Allow at least 2 inches of space between cookies on cookie sheets, and at least 2 inches around the sides of the oven for proper heat circulation
• Use bright, shiny aluminum cookie sheets rather than dark colored cookie sheets to prevent over browning
• Bake cookies on a rack in the middle of the oven; for best results use only one rack
• Do not over-bake – a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when a cookie is baked
• Allow cookie sheets to cool before baking more to prevent the edges of the cookie from spreading out and becoming too thin
• Cool cookies on a wire rack

For recipes & ideas, visit our baking Pinterest board!   Written by Tyler Blance, Marketing Program Coordinator Capital District Holiday Homegrown Flavors: 12/3 10am-2pm We’re rounding up the local crowd in New York’s Capital District! Our Homegrown Flavors events feature tastes from local communities, meet ‘n greets with local growers and producers and an overall celebration of all things local here in the Northeast. On 12/3 we’ll be featuring a unique group of local producers in 5 stores for Homegrown Flavors: Wilton Market 32, Hudson Valley Market 32 in Troy, Hamilton Square Market 32 in Guilderland, Clifton Park Shoppers World Market 32 and Altamont Ave Price Chopper in Rotterdam. We’ve lined up an exciting group of local producers for each store on 12/3, including Perreca’s Bakery at our Altamont Ave Price Chopper and Mapleland Farms at our Wilton Market 32. Each store will have a local brewery in-house to chat with guests and offer tastes of their New York brews! Tune in to WGNA on event day: they’ll be broadcasting the event live on site at Hamilton Square Market 32 from 10-noon. Check out the event roster below to see who’ll be in the house at your store:   Altamont Avenue Price Chopper      Flavor of Schenectady                   Schenectady NY Horseshoe Hot Sauce                     Rhinebeck NY Perreca’s Bakery                              Schenectady NY Davidson Bros Brewing                  Glens Falls NY Ole McDonald’s Honey Farm       Fultonville NY Barkeater Chocolates                     North Creek NY Blue Hill Farm                                     Morrisville NY Harney & Sons Tea                          Hudson NY   Wilton Market 32 Saratoga Peanut Butter                 Saratoga Springs NY Nettle Meadow Farm                    Warrensburg NY Saratoga Brewing                             Saratoga Springs NY Dellavale Farm                                  Pattersonville NY Mapleland Farms                             Salem NY                 Shoppers World Market 32 Old World Provisions                      Albany NY Death Wish Coffee                          Round Lake NY Schmaltz Brewing Co                      Clifton Park NY Vermont Hydroponic                     Florence VT Pixie’s Preserves                              Waterford NY Russo’s Grill                                        Amsterdam NY                 Hudson Valley Plaza Market 32 Snacks101                                           Bethpage NY Brown’s Brewing                              Troy NY Larry’s Sauces                                    Slingerlands NY Dominick’s Gourmet Sauce          Guilderland NY R & G Cheese                                    Troy NY                 Hamilton Square Market 32 Brooklyn Brewery                            Brooklyn NY Valente’s Restaurant                      Watervliet NY The Peanut Principle                      Albany NY Vital Eats                                              Saratoga Springs NY Our Daily Eats                                    Albany NY WGNA (radio onsite!)                   Albany NY   Written by Jane Golub Director In-Store Marketing Programs November 20 2016 PINELAND FARMS POTATO ITEMS Pineland Farms presents their trip of fresh potato products! Natural Homestyle Mashed Potatoes Good old-fashioned taste starts with natural ingredients – fresh potatoes, whole milk and real butter.   This delicious recipe will make you think Mom prepared it herself!  Just heat and serve and you’ll have the perfect accompaniment for any meal! Natural Redskin Mashed Potatoes No mashing, no peeling!  Let Pineland Farms provide you with the “classic” redskin mashed potato.  Their recipe is sure to add a fresh and favorable twist for your dinner table.  Natural ingredients, fresh taste and ready to go.  Just heat and serve. Natural Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes Using the freshest ingredients, Pineland Farms has created a creamy and savory side dish that will pair well with any entrée.  Pop their package in the microwave and you’re ready to go in just minutes with the perfect potato dish. Always Fresh – Never Frozen        Natural Ingredients – Great Flavor Ready in minutes – no peeling, no cutting – Heat and eat!! Look for Pineland Farms Fresh Potato Items in the Refrigerated Produce section   Written by Karin Reeves of Reeves Farms This is the time of year when things start to slow down a little on the farm: We’re done harvesting all of our vegetables with the exception of some pumpkins and winter squash.  This means that we finally have a little time to do some cooking and baking. I’ve always enjoyed baking more than cooking.  It’s nice to mix up a bunch of ingredients, pop a pan in the oven and wait to see how it come out.  These pumpkin muffins are great because they’re really versatile.  They can be used for a dessert, breakfast or tasty snack. We have tons of pumpkins and squash around the house this time of year.  I usually spend a few hours on a rainy fall day baking up squash and pumpkins and turning them into puree to freeze for the winter.  Everyone in our family is a pumpkin and squash fan including the cat (it’s strange but he loves butternut squash).  For the pumpkin piece of this recipe I have used a lot of different things – pie pumpkins, butternut squash or even buttercup squash.  They all work well so use whatever you like best.  This recipe can also be a good way to use up leftover squash you made for dinner. Start by making the pumpkin puree, which is much easier than you might think. First cut the stem off the pumpkin or squash you have decided to use.  Then cut in half and scoop out the seeds (I like to save the seeds to roast later.)  Place on a baking sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.  You will know they are done when you can easily pierce the flesh with a fork.  Allow to cool for about 20 mins or until its cool enough to handle.  Scoop out the flesh leaving the skin behind.  Put all the pumpkin flesh in a food processor and blend until smooth.  If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash up the chunks of pumpkin with a potato masher or a fork.  You will need one heaping cup of puree for this recipe.  Depending on the size of the pumpkin or squash you are working with you will probably have more puree than you need.  You can freeze it for later or you can easily double this recipe to use up more puree. Reeves Family Pumpkin Muffins Ingredients 1 ¾ cups flour ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 eggs 1 heaping cup of pumpkin or squash puree ½ cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla   Baking Instructions   Preheat oven to 375 degrees   Place paper liners in a muffin tin or grease tin using a paper towel with a little vegetable oil.   In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.  Make sure brown sugar is broken up so there are no chunks of sugar in the batter.   In a separate bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, oil, milk and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth   Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold together gently until just combined   Scoop batter into muffin tins so that each cup is about ¾ full   Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin   Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan   You can serve immediately or let muffins cool completely before storing in an airtight container   Yield: about 18 medium size muffins.   This muffin recipe is a great base for trying some variations and experimenting a little.  You can add ½ cup raisins or walnuts to add some more interesting textures. For an extra rich dessert, sometimes I frost the muffins with cream cheese frosting or add a ½ cup of chocolate chips to the recipe.  Enjoy! Written by Sara Lilkas Fall has become synonymous with pumpkin season, for reasons far beyond the classic Jack-O-Lantern! I think it’s fair to say that today’s consumer is seriously pumped-up about pumpkin! From pumpkin flavored drinks and baked goods, to pumpkin ice cream and scented candles, there is no shortage of this fall-favorite flavor! Pumpkins are great for decorating or even eating! Have you ever baked pumpkin seeds after carving a pumpkin for Halloween They’re delicious and super easy! Simply separate the seeds from the meat of the pumpkin, put them on a greased cookie sheet, add some salt and bake at 300° F for about 45 minutes or until golden brown! Pumpkins do not have to be limited to the spooky happenings surrounding Halloween either. They can also be used for your seasonal fall and Thanksgiving decorating. Pumpkins can be hollowed out and used as vases or they look great painted with stencils, glitter, or monograms to fit in with the rest of your decorations. I’m a huge fan of adding pumpkin to everything possible the months of September-November, and if it spills over into December a little bit that’s fine too. (I would eat pumpkin year round if it was available!)  I love adding pumpkin to pancakes, waffles, bread (for toast), and muffins. I found that learning to cook and bake is a lot more fun when attempting to make foods that I really enjoy. This year I decided to try and make pumpkin muffins instead of purchasing them like I normally do. I tried this recipe here and they turned out great! Plus, you get the added bonus of the apartment smelling amazing when baking muffins fresh at home! Now the only thing better than pumpkin would be the addition of chocolate. My next baking attempt will have to be Pumpkin Swirl Brownies. Brownies are my go-to favorite baked good regardless of the season, but adding pumpkin to the mix will probably result in me eating the whole batch, by myself, in one sitting, it’s fine. My pumpkin obsession has grown with time and age, since now there are also many varieties of pumpkin flavored beer! It seems that almost every brewery, no matter how large or small, puts out a pumpkin flavored beer for the fall. Each variety uses its own unique blend of spices to bring out the pumpkin flavor, so it’s exciting to try the different varieties and discover the many flavors! Two of my favorites are the Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale and Magic Hat’s Wilhelm Scream. As always, please enjoy responsibly! What are your favorite pumpkin flavored treats? Leave a comment below! Written by our friends at Cabot Creamery   Cabot Creamery Co-operative, owned by 1,100 dairy farm families throughout New England and upstate New York, invite you to visit a farm on Sunday, October 9^th!   As a co-operative, our farm families own the business and all profits are returned to the farmers, which means that when you purchase Cabot products you are directly supporting farmers in your local communities.   That spirit of supporting your community is what we love about Price Chopper’s Homegrown Flavors program. Cabot is proud to be a part of this program that connects people to local food producers, and for that reason our farm family owners are opening their gates to show appreciation for their neighbor’s support. Every participating farm features different activities, such as farm tours, hayrides, scavenger hunts and games for families. It is a chance to meet neighbors, farm critters and the farmers responsible for the “World’s Best Cheddar”.   Open Farm Sunday events on Sunday, October 9^th will run from 11am – 2pm. Visit our Open Farm Sunday event page for more details and find a participating farm near you!   Written by Sara Lilkas  Fall in the Northeast means one thing, apples. We love going to orchards and getting apples, literally as fresh as they come, eating apple cider doughnuts, and drinking apple cider too! With the crisp feeling of fall in the air, what could be better? While many of us in the Northeast count down the days until apple season is back upon us, there is one apple product perfect for fall that often gets bypassed, and that’s hard cider. Since the early nineties, hard cider has had its first big popularity push since Prohibition. With Woodchuck Hard Cider from Vermont leading the way in developing the hard cider category. As a beverage choice, hard ciders are crisp, refreshing, and becoming a popular drink option when sitting down for dinner.  Hard cider has also gained momentum as a “beer-like” option for those who do not like the taste of beer or who have a gluten allergy (most are gluten free!) Even though hard ciders are not a seasonal item (with the exception of any limited releases put out) anything featuring apples in my opinion is a “fall item.” Unfortunately, hard ciders are often overshadowed by that other fall seasonal alcoholic beverage, pumpkin beer (not that I’m trying to take away from the pumpkin beers of fall, trust me I love them!). Plus, since the Northeast is known for its apples, many popular hard ciders are produced in the area! Check out some of our favorites below! Woodchuck Cider One of the first Cider Houses to start up after prohibition, Woodchuck Cider moved around a bit before finding their permanent home in Middlebury, VT. They essentially restarted the cider category in 1991. Starting with the Woodchuck Amber, they have since developed a line of seven core ciders including flavors like raspberry and pear in addition to their original Amber and granny smith. Woodchuck also releases seasonal flavors for fall, winter, and summer, as well as, their “out on a limb” line which explores the boundaries of what you would traditionally consider cider. If you are a fan of apple pie make sure to grab the fall seasonal Fall Harvest, it taste like apple pie in a bottle!   Angry Orchard Probably the most widely known brand of hard cider, Angry Orchard, is produced in Pennsylvania and Ohio and their innovation Cider House is located in Walden, NY. The Cider House is located on their orchard in the Hudson Valley and it is where they are constantly pushing the boundaries of traditional cider processes. Angry Orchard currently has five core flavors, two seasonal ciders (one for fall/winter and one for spring/summer), their artisanal cider house collection, and the Orchard’s Edge collection featuring some of the innovative ciders developed at the orchard in Walden, NY. With so many cider flavors to choose from it’s impossible to choose just one! Luckily the fall variety pack features the fall seasonal CinnFul Apple as well as the five core flavors. So which one is your favorite? Nine Pin Cider Nine Pin Cider not only hails from the heart of downtown Albany, but their cidery on Broadway is where all their cider is produced\. Nine Pin cider is a celebration of all that New York State has to offer, sourcing all their apples and fruit from orchards in the Capital Region and the Hudson Valley. In addition to distributing their product (currently Nine Pin can be found in Upstate New York, NYC, and Boston) they have a tasting room where they rotate between their staple ciders and their specialty craft ciders. Currently they are partnering with Ommegang brewery from Cooperstown, NY to create The Lion’s Share featuring their Belgian abbey ale yeast. So are you ready to join the cider revolution? Woodchuck, Angry Orchard, and Nine Pin Ciders are available at most Price Chopper and Market 32 locations. Call your local store for availability. Please enjoy responsibly. Written By: Sara Lilkas  We’ve got Mega Meat savings this week and in addition to all the great weekly specials we are featuring our Mega Meat Packs. There are five mega meat deals available to choose from ranging from 20lbs-37lbs (we did say mega!) These mega meat boxes feature a wide variety of your favorite cuts of meat from Certified Angus Beef boneless bottom round sirloin steak to Price Chopper all natural chicken wings! The Mega Meat Packs are perfect for prepping for a barbecue or just getting the best value possible. When you purchase a Mega Meat Pack you’ll have enough cuts of meat to make 12-20 meals and that’s not counting any delicious left-overs you may have from the night before! The Mega Meat packs are available every day at the meat counter at your local Price Chopper or Market 32 store. Whether you opt for the 20lb pack perfect for a fall barbecue or the 37lb mega pack for three weeks’ worth of meals, when you buy big, you’ll save big! The question that comes to mind for most Mega Meat pack purchasers, is what am to do with all this meat? Well we have hundreds of recipes on our website and Pinterest boards so you’ll never have the same meal twice! So what are you waiting for? Each box is made to order in minutes and is loaded with value! So which pack will you choose?