Picnic Locations in New York

Spring is finally in the air! The weather is starting to warm up and it’s time to get back outside. One of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors is a picnic with family or friends. Luckily, there are many places in our region that are perfect for a picnic. Here are some of our favorite locations!

Clift Park, Skaneateles, NY: 

Just a short drive from Syracuse, Clift Park offers a great view of the beautiful Skaneateles Lake. Once you’re done eating you can walk out onto the pier that stretches into the lake. The park also offers a public beach open during the summer.

John Boyd Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, NY: 

When you picnic at Thacher Park you have the choice of a panoramic view of mountains and trees or sitting next to a waterfall. No matter what you choose, the location offers the perfect scenery for adventurous picnickers. Plus, dogs are always welcome!

Overlook Park, South Burlington, VT: 

Overlook Park is known for its scenic views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. The 1.7-acre park is picturesque for picnics, watching the sunset, or taking a walk on the recreational path.

Elm Park, Worcester, MA:

Elm Park in Worcester offers a ton of family fun! Featuring a great playground, walking trails, bridges, water features, and of course picnic areas. The park also hosts nature programs for kids, and concerts on certain evenings.

Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre, PA:

In 1921, Fred Morgan Kirby donated over 70 acres of riverfront land and hired the Olmstead Brothers firm, the preeminent landscape architects, to design a people’s park. Today the park still serves as favorite picnic spot in Pennsylvania.

Veterans Memorial Park, Southington, CT:

Veterans Memorial is a beautiful park located in Southington. The park offers wonderful picnic areas as well as a variety of facilities to take advantage of after eating. Check it out if you’re looking for a day of fun in the sun!

With the weather warming up we are excited to start getting back outside. Our region offers up a ton of beautiful parks for picnics and outdoor fun. Check out these favorites or do some exploring of your own! Be sure to stop by your local Price Chopper/Market or shop with us online for all your picnic needs!

Shop Picnic Favorites!

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KCC Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwich by Jodie Fitz

Have leftover, hard boiled Easter Eggs?  We’ve got you covered at the Price Chopper/Market 32 Kids Cooking Club.  You can turn them into a simple, but delicious, grilled egg and cheese sandwich.  This combo is perfect for a breakfast sandwich, lunch or an easy dinner. YUM, yum and more yum…

2 slices PICS whole grain bread (or your favorite)

1 PICS hardboiled egg

½ cup PICS shredded sharp cheese

1/8 teaspoon PICS ground mustard

1/8 teaspoon PICS salt

1/8 teaspoon PICS paprika

1/8 teaspoon PICS black pepper

¼ teaspoon PICS onion powder

PICS butter

Peel and slice the hardboiled egg.

Stir the ground mustard, salt, paprika, black pepper and onion powder together with the shredded cheese.

Sprinkle half of the cheese onto one slice of bread. Place the egg slices on the cheese and then top with the rest of the cheese. Finish with the second slice of bread.

Melt butter in a pan over medium to low heat. Add the sandwich, toast one side and carefully flip to toast the other side.

Side Serves:  This sandwich is great for breakfast with fruit on the side. It’s also delicious for lunch and you can add fresh veggies or salad.

Cooking with Kids:  Every recipe is filled with life skills that help to encourage a child’s confidence in the kitchen.  Here are a few to focus on when making this recipe;

  • Peeling eggs
  • Slicing
  • Knife safety
  • Measuring ingredients
  • Stirring
  • Grilling a sandwich
  • Stovetop safety
  • Flipping
  • Following Directions

 

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Meringue Nests
by Jodie Fitz

  • 5 egg whites

    2 teaspoons PICS vanilla extract

    1 cup PICS light brown sugar

    8 oz. PICS whipping cream

    1/4 cup PICS confectioner’s sugar

    1 teaspoon PICS vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spread the brown sugar on a non-stick baking sheet.  Place it in the oven for approximately eight minutes, remove it and let it fully cool.  

Place the dried brown sugar into a mini chopper or food processor to bring it to a dried, granulated state.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peeks.  Add in the vanilla extract and sprinkle in approximately an 1/8 cup of the granulated brown sugar at a time and continue to mix with the electric mixer until it has all been added and mixed thoroughly.  

On a piece of parchment paper, make approximately four – 4” circles with a permanent marker.  Flip the paper so that the ink is face down on a nonstick baking sheet; you will be able to see the lines through the paper.  Using a spoon to scoop the meringue onto the paper on the inside of the ring. Bake the meringues at 325 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes.

Turn off the oven, but open it a crack and let the meringues cool in the opened oven for an additional 35 – 40 minutes.

Just before serving, add the whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract together in a mixing bowl.  Whip until it is stiff.

Fill each nest with cream and top it off with Cadbury mini chocolate filled eggs with the crisp colored shells or PICS frozen mixed berries that have been thawed.

Egg White Time Tip:  Yes, you can crack the eggs and separate the yolk from the whites.  However, then you have all of the yolks that you either toss or find another way to use.  Or, you can simplify and buy the PICS egg whites located near the regular eggs at your Price Chopper and Market 32 Supermarkets.

Drawing the Circles:  I trace a small bowl, but you can use a ruler or protractor to create the circles as well.  Just make sure you turn the ink side down before adding the meringue.  You can make smaller circles for smaller bites if desired.

Storing Extras:  If you have additional nests and cream, store them separately.

Cooking with Kids:  Every recipe is filled with life skills that help to encourage children’s confidence in the kitchen. Here are a few to focus on when making this recipe;

  • Separating eggs
  • Whipping eggs
  • Electric mixer safety
  • Scooping
  • Baking
  • Oven safety
  • Mini chopper or food processor safety
  • Measuring ingredients
  • Following directions
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New Items: Cabot Triple Cream Premium Yogurt

The Northeast’s beloved dairy cooperative, Cabot Creamery, is sharing their farmers’ heavenly new way to indulge your sweetest cravings.

If you’re looking to treat yourself, look no further than Cabot Creamery’s new Triple Cream Premium Yogurt. Each serving is not only rich in flavor, but packed with protein, too. Talk about decadence with benefits!  These yogurts are made with the finest ingredients and will leave your sweet tooth satisfied at any time of day.

Price Chopper carries three mouthwatering flavors of these new premium treats: Chocolate Mousse, Salted Caramel and Vanilla Chai. Which will you try first?!

Chocolate Mousse

A chocolate lover’s dream: sweet and rich yet balanced by the slight tang of yogurt. Find delight in each luscious spoonful.

Salted Caramel

If you’re more of a sweet-and-savory fan, Salted Caramel is the perfect flavor for you. Each bite takes your tastebuds on a journey between sweet notes of caramel and savory hits of salt.

Vanilla Chai

A new twist on classic vanilla, the subtle spices of chai enhance our traditional vanilla, creating a delightfully sumptuous flavor profile. Discover the power of premium taste with each spoonful of Vanilla Chai.

Cabot’s Triple Cream yogurts are conveniently sized for everyone to choose their own favorite flavor! Perfect for anytime, anywhere…take some time out for yourself and explore Cabot Creamery’s new premium line at your local Price Chopper today.  Your taste buds will thank you!

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Mission Style Burritos by Jodie Fitz

1 Rotisserie cooked chicken

1 – 15 oz. can of refried beans, traditional or black bean

½ cup PICS sour cream

2 tablespoons taco sauce

Fresh salsa

2 pounds PICS frozen corn

1 green bell pepper

1 lime

Fresh cilantro

Avocado

PICS shredded Mexican cheese blend

Tortilla wraps, large

PICS butter

  •  

 

 

 

Remove the chicken from the bones and cut the chicken into small pieces.

Remove the refried beans from the can and place them in a bowl.

Stir the sour cream and taco sauce together.  Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to build your burritos.

Prep the salsa by either opening a container or making it (see below).

Cook the corn and drain it. 

Wash the green bell pepper, remove the seeds and dice it.  

Chop a ½ cup of fresh cilantro.

Stir the corn, bell pepper and chopped cilantro together.  Cut the lime in half and squeeze the fresh juice onto the corn mixture and stir it together.

Remove the skin and seed from the avocado and cut it into slices.

Steam the tortilla wraps by placing one on a plate, placing a damp paper towel over the top and put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Add the ingredients to the center of your tortilla; refried beans, fresh salsa, the corn mixture, the chicken, the cheese and fresh avocado.

Fold the tortilla burrito style by folding in the sides and rolling it up.

Melt a little butter in a skillet style pan; just enough to coat it.  Toast the burritos on either side like you would a grilled cheese.

Rotisserie Chicken:  You can find this in the prepared food area at your Price Chopper and Market 32 Supermarkets.

Salsa:  You can find fresh salsa in the produce aisle at your Price Chopper and Market 32 Supermarkets.  Or, you can make your own.

Simply place 1 pint of grape tomatoes with ½ cup of finely diced sweet onion into a mini food chopper or food processor and chop the ingredients.  Add in 1 green bell pepper that’s been rinsed, seeded and diced along with 1 clove of peeled garlic and chop them together with the tomatoes and onions.  Add in a ½ cup of fresh cilantro and 1 tablespoon of PICS balsamic vinegar.  Chop again and serve.

Extra Corn:  Simply serve it on the side or add it to the top of a salad if you have extra.

Spanish Rice:  Spanish rice is a great side dish and can be added into the tortilla as part of your burrito or served on the side.

The Plastic Knife:  If you have younger children, they can help to cut many of the ingredients in the recipes to help strengthen this motor skill.  For example, cut the bell pepper into strips and let them cut it into small pieces.  Or, remove the avocado from the skin, let the children cut it into strips.

Cooking with Kids: Every recipe is filled with life skills that help to encourage children’s confidence in the kitchen.  Here are a few to focus on when making this recipe;

  • Measuring ingredients
  • Stirring
  • Cutting skills
  • Knife Skills
  • Dicing
  • Avocado prep
  • Burrito folding
  • Stove top safety
  • Following directions
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New Items: It's Skinny Pasta

It’s Skinny™ doesn’t look like other pasta.

Oh pasta. So many ways to enjoy, but so many carbs! After centuries as the world’s go-to comfort food, isn’t it about time for an update? Skinny reimagines pasta to give fresh thinkers the freedom to feast on more creative eats, without the constrainment of unhealthy carbs. From spaghetti and meatballs to rich noodle soups, pasta has spent centuries as the world’s go-to comfort food. But after all this time of pairing the ingredients we crave with needless carbs and calories, isn’t it about time that some fresh thinker asked, “Couldn’t we make this better?” That’s why they created It’s Skinny, the 9-calorie noodle that grants you the freedom to enjoy your favorite pasta and rice dishes without guilt. Made with an ancient Japanese plant called Konjac, It’s Skinny is full of fiber, remarkably low in carbs, and amazing at capturing all the comforts you crave. So go ahead. Get creative. Fill a bowl with the biggest, richest, wildest flavors you can dream up. After all, when your pasta only has 9 calories, no ingredient is off the table. It’s Skinny time.

Enjoy pasta reimagined. No Guilt , No Hassle, That’s the Skinny.

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March is National Nutrition Month!

Ellie Wilson

MS, RDN Manager, Lifestyles and Wellness

March is National Nutrition Month®, time to celebrate and activate to capture the bounty and benefits of food! National Nutrition Month® is an annual nutrition education initiative from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For 48 years, Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist members (now more than 100,000, the largest professional nutrition organization in the world), have led the food and health conversation, sharing all the benefits eating well and being active can bring to your life. The central theme for 2021, “Personalize Your Plate”, recognizes that family, history, culture and community all influence what we eat, and there are many flavorful, inspiring ways to bring food and health together.  

If you believe there is room to get more benefits from the food you eat, check out some of my favorite tips and hacks from the Academy to power your plate in 2021:

    1. Take time to enjoy your food.
    2. Include healthful foods from all food groups.
    3. Use a grocery list to shop for healthful foods.
    4. Fuel for school or work with a delicious, nutritious breakfast.
    5. Keep healthy ingredients on hand.
    6. Keep food safety front and center.
    7. Share meals with family and friends, in your home and virtually!
    8. Hydrate healthfully.
    9. Learn how to read Nutrition Fact Panels.
    10. To get personalized nutrition advice to meet your goals, see a registered dietitian nutritionist!

Take credit for the good choices you are already making and consider what you could add to your efforts to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Check out our website and learn more about the Know Your Colors nutrition guides, health and wellness articles on the Price Chopper blog and Pharmacy pages, Price Chopper You Tube videos, the Kids Cooking Club and the healthy recipes – explore the website and store for more information and inspiration. Enjoy eating well with us for National Nutrition Month!

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3 Reasons You'll Love Little Leaf Farms Lettuce

Didn’t think you could “love” lettuce? Lett-uce tell you why Little Leaf Farms is deliciously different:

  1. You’ll love Little Leaf Farms lettuce because they show their lettuce love. Their baby greens are grown in an environment where every condition caters to exactly what the lettuce needs. These pampered greens are harvested at the peak of flavor, giving you a balanced and refreshing crunch that will make you crave your next salad.
  1. Little Leaf Farms lettuce is grown close to you! Did you know that 95% of lettuce in the United States is grown on the West Coast? That means it takes 10+ days to get to your local grocery store. Little Leaf Farms baby greens on the other hand waste no time – traveling from their greenhouse in Devens, MA to your local Price Chopper in the same day. This means that they will stay fresh in your fridge for two weeks or more and you’ll never have pick through slimy, wilted greens.
  1. Sustainability and food safety are built into every level of the Little Leaf Farms 10-acre greenhouse. They grow their greens using state-of-the-art technology to harness natural resources like the sun and recycled rainwater, and they never use harmful chemicals, pesticides, or GMOs. Their automated system ensures that Little Leaf Farms lettuce never comes in contact with human hands and harmful pathogens, so their greens are always clean and safe to eat. You don’t even need to wash them – just pop open the container and enjoy!

For your next salad, drizzle Little Leaf Farms greens with their simple yet delicious signature vinaigrette:

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New Items: FAGE BestSelf® Yogurt

NEW FAGE BestSelf® Lactose Free Greek yogurt is here! Discover the heavenly taste of real dairy Greek yogurt without the lactose. FAGE BestSelf is available at Price Chopper|Market 32 in three delicious 5.3oz flavors – Vanilla, Strawberry and Blueberry.

It is rich, creamy, low-fat and protein-packed Greek yogurt that’s unbelievably lactose free – allowing you to enjoy with confidence. FAGE BestSelf contains 100% natural ingredients and is Non-GMO Project Verified.

Try these easy, delicious, and lactose free recipes!

Mixed Berry Smoothie with FAGE BestSelf

5 minutes · Perfectly creamy with 100% natural ingredients, our new Greek yogurt is not just delicious, it’s lactose free. Add FAGE BestSelf to your favorite smoothie recipe for the boost you need.

Produce

  • 1 Banana, fresh or frozen
  • 2 cups Berries, fresh or frozen mixed
  • 1 Blueberries
  • 1 Mint
  • 1 Raspberries
  • 1 Strawberries

Condiments

  • 2 tbsp Agave maple syrup or honey

Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/2 cup Almonds

Dairy

  • 1 1/2 cups Milk

Frozen

  • 1 cup Ice

Other

  • 1 ½ cups FAGE Total 5% FAGE Total 2% FAGE Total 0% or FAGE BestSelf
Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie

5 minutes · Kick-start the week with this refreshing smoothie! It’s made with our new FAGE BestSelf Greek yogurt that’s not just tasty, it’s surprisingly lactose free.

Produce

  • 1 Banana, frozen or fresh
  • 1 tsp Ginger, fresh
  • 2 cups Pineapple chunks, frozen or fresh

Baking & Spices

  • 1 tbsp Turmeric, fresh

Dairy

  • 1 cup Milk

Other

  • ½ cup FAGE Total 5% FAGE Total 2% FAGE Total 0% or FAGE BestSelf Plain
Winter Citrus Yogurt Bowl

5 minutes · Creamy, dreamy FAGE BestSelf Greek yogurt pairs perfectly with bright, seasonal citrus to give you that much-needed boost without the lactose.

Produce

  • 1 Blood orange
  • 1 Grapefruit
  • 1 Mint
  • 1 tbsp Pomegranate seeds

Nuts & Seeds

  • 1 tbsp Granola or nuts

Other

  • 2 cups Fage total 5% fage total 2% fage total 0% or fage bestself plain
  • 1 Naval orange peeled and thinly sliced

For recipes, and to learn more about FAGE’s products, please visit:

 – FAGE’s website

FAGE’s Facebook

FAGE’s Instagram

FAGE”s Pinterest

FAGE’s YouTube

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Seafood Smarts for Heart and Health

Ellie Wilson

MS, RDN, Lifestyle and Wellness

If you are thinking more about eating well and supporting better health with food, you are not alone. The good news is, there is one move you can make to add foods that bring benefits for heart and mind at every age and stage – eat more seafood.

The Seafood Team at Price Chopper has gone hook, line and sinker off the deep end to make sure you have fresh, delicious choices. Waiting for you in the Seafood department, beautiful Fresh Chilean Salmon Fillet, amazing colossal scallops, (super tender and the perfect serving size for young children), premium shrimp and a wide variety of other fillet options are all ready for your favorite family-friendly Fast Fresh Beach Tacos recipe, a cutting edge twist on international flavors like Maple Gochujang Roasted Salmon with Shiitake Mushrooms Charred Red Cabbage, and grilled seafood recipes like Tequila Lime Shrimp Skewers with Grilled Fruit Salsa. Chef tip – many recipes are adaptable to your favorite seafood item, fresh or frozen, though cooking times may vary. Grilled recipes can also be oven-baked or broiled – make it your own!

Time-crunched? Seafood fits perfectly into a busy schedule, cooking up in an average of about 10 minutes. Catch a great deal and enjoy a M32 seafood and vegetable dinner with Seafood meals available in the GrabNGo case.  Salmon Florentine Pinwheel with Broccoli is just one of these just-right portioned Market 32 Seafood Meals that bake in their own tray for quick cooking and cleanup.  Watch for AdvantEdge bonus points – what a great way to benefit waist and wallet!

Need any more reasons to dive in? Seafood is a nutrient-dense food – lean protein, omega 3’s, Vitamin D, and minerals like iron, selenium, zinc and iodine are all part of the package seafood offers. That is straight from the updated recommendations released by the FDA and EPA last year.  In this update, the FDA and EPA enhanced their recommendations and guidance with a Best and Good choices list, (more than 20 recommended items are in stores!) and shared some evidence-based guidelines for women who might become pregnant, breastfeeding mothers and young children. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, encourages starting children on seafood at 6 months or older – a bright beginning for smart food habits. Fresh, frozen and canned/pouch all count, and fit every appetite and budget. Only one third of Americans eat seafood each week, with the average intake just below 3 ounces per person – about half the twice-per-week recommendation of the American Heart Association and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So, get with the guidelines and enjoy more seafood each week!

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