We’re getting into late February and we’re sure the snow isn’t done falling here in the Northeast! There’s plenty of time left to get our snowpants on and hit the hills. If you are looking for a new place to go sledding, take a look at our favorite hills in our neighborhoods!

Lincoln Park – Albany, NY | Delaware Ave #45

Lincoln Park is the city of Albany’s classic sledding spot. It’s easy accessibility and great hills make it a staple for winter fun.

228 Eagle St, Albany, NY 12202

Blatnick Park – Niskayuna, NY | Eastern Parkway #1

Blatnick Park provides awesome rolling hills, making the park fun for the whole family.

River Rd, Schenectady, NY 12309

Burlington Country Club – Burlington, VT | South Burlington #228.

Sledders of all ages flock to the Burlington Country Club when the snow starts coming down. The terrain is wide and diverse, with plenty of run-out at the bottom.

568 South Prospect Street, South Burlington, VT 05401

Page Park – Bristol, CT | Bristol #204

Home to three of the best sledding hills in Hartford County. From beginner to more advanced slopes, Page Park has it all.

581 King St, Bristol, CT 06010

Long Branch Park – Liverpool, NY | Clay #182

As one of CNY’s few “official” hills, Long Branch Park is the place to be for outdoor winter entertainment.  

3813 Long Branch Rd, Liverpool, NY 13090

Frances Slocum State Park – Wyoming, PA | Wyoming #173

Frances Slocum State Park provides great slopes for sledding, and a blast of a time for sledders.

567 Mt. Olivet, Wyoming, PA 18644

Green Hill Park – Worcester, MA | Park Avenue #148

You can tell Green Hill Park is great for sledding just by its name. In the search for great sledding this park does not disappoint.

50 Skyline Dr, Worcester, MA 01605

Monument Mountain Regional High School – Great Barrington, MA | Great Barrington #155

Monument Mountain Regional High School has a large, steep hill. An intense ride for sledding-lovers.

600 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230

Memorial Park – Brattleboro, VT | Brattleboro #136

Memorial Park is a fun for everyone experience that will have you coming back every snowfall.

Memorial Park Dr, West Brattleboro, VT 05301

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Haleigh Eustis

Intern, Digital Marketing

Happy Winter! This time of year can tend to drag on as the days are shorter, temperatures are colder, and people wait patiently for the first signs of spring. That being said, there are plenty of activities to keep yourself occupied as the cold weather thaws away slowly. Easy for all ages to make; let’s create bottle cap snowmen ornaments! 

What you need: 

1. (3) bottle caps for each snowman 

2. White paint

3. Black and orange paint pens (sharpies work too)

4. Small pom-poms (choose any color you’d like) 

5. Sheets of felt material (choose any color you’d like)

6. Hot glue gun (glue sticks work too but with better results glue guns are preferred)

7. Winter or holiday ribbon

8. Small buttons (choose any color you’d like) 

Let’s begin: 

  1. Before we begin, assemble your ornaments pieces. With your colorful felt you can cut and create small hats, and scarves for your snowman. It’s simple. Just cut out 2D shapes of winter beanies and strips of felt (6/8 inches) for your scarves. 
  2. You will glue those to the front of your snowman. 
  3. Cut your holiday ribbon to a length that is suitable for your liking. Remember, this is going to be used to hang your ornament, so whatever length you cut make sure it’s enough when folded.  
  4. With the bottle caps, you’re going to paint the entirety of it white, front and back! This task may feel tedious, but you’re going to want to repeat this if the white paint is streaking on the first coat. Wait until the paint is completely dry to continue.  
  5. Once your paint is dry, take your markers and draw on the snowman’s eyes, coal and nose.
  6. Now, assemble all of your pieces together. Start simple: hot glue all your bottle caps together. Glue as you would a chain, from top to bottom, not back-to-back.  
  7. Next, hot glue your ribbon to the back of the snowman’s head. Make sure it’s shaped like a loop so it can hang on hooks or branches!

Make the most of this snowy winter with fun at-home activities! 

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Mia Teal

Marketing Coordinator, Paid Media

As the seasons change, so do our meal choices. On a cold fall night, you may opt for a warm bowl of chili or a steaming plate of chicken alfredo. When you take a step back, have you ever thought of what makes comfort food, so…comforting? There have been studies on this topic that you may find quite interesting. Let’s find out more!

When people think of “comfort food,” they may think of something that is high in calories. However, what often goes unnoticed is that comfort food offers something deeper, such as nostalgia and a sense of social connection. For instance, during childhood, if your parents consistently prepared grilled cheese and tomato soup for you when you were under the weather, that combination may evoke comforting recollections of being cared for. Additionally, if you and your grandparents always made spaghetti and meatballs together on a Sunday afternoon, the taste and smell of these foods can trigger happy memories. 

Like many foods, comfort meals can evoke beautiful memories. If you would like to try more comfort foods this fall and winter season, then take a look below. Price Chopper and Market 32 have what you need for a delicious meal with friends and family.

Cook with love, passion, and creativity this cold-weather season!

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Homemade Soup Contest Favorites!

National Homemade Soup Day is here, and we are celebrating with the entries from our Homemade Soup Recipe Facebook Contest. We received a number of mouthwatering recipes, and dwindling down the list was certainly challenging. Thanks to all who participated…we’re off to enjoy some new soup recipes!

Check out our winnning recipe Douglas’ Tomato Soup as well as more of our favorites below!

Tomato Soup from Douglas in Binghamton, NY

One can of undiluted condensed Tomato Soup.

One can of un-drained diced Tomatoes.

1/4 Tsp Dried Basil

Dash of hot sauce or more to taste.

Stir together while heating just to the point of boiling.

Enjoy.

Chicken Noodle Soup from Laura in Syracuse, NY

Fill 4 QT pot 2/3 of way with water. 

Add 4 chicken drumsticks and bring to boil. 

Skim fat as it appears until it is cooked out. 

Add 2 stalks of celery, a tomato that has been skinned, 2 potatoes, cubed, a small onion, baby carrots to taste and 2 tsp of salt. 

Cook an hour. 

Serve with soup pasta of choice.

Homemade Potato Soup from Kimberly in Selkirk, NY

Take 1 lb bacon — slice into 1 inch pieces fry good and brown; put bacon in 5 qt kettle

Take 4 large white potatoes, peel and dice into 1/2 inch cubes put in pot

Take 6 to 8 1 inch boiling onions left whole — put in pot

Add a tablespoon of left over bacon grease

Fill pot 2/3s full with water

Add salt and pepper to taste

Boil until onions are fully cooked(approximately 45 minutes)

To finish add a tablespoon of butter, and 1 large can of evaporated milk to the soup.

To serve break up day old white bread place in your bowl and add soup, grab a spoon and Enjoy!

Very Easy Lentil Soup from Dawn in Poughkeepsie, NY

Sauté 1/2 minced onion and 1 clove garlic minced in olive oil

Add 8 oz tomato sauce and 8 oz chicken broth

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

1/2 tsp. Oregano

Add one can Progresso Lentil soup

Heat through

Spoon into bowls add cooked rice or cooked ditalini pasta

 

Pepper Soup from Cinzia in Winsted, CT

3 bell peppers of any color (or mixed colors), diced

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups water

1 cup vegetable or beef broth

1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Optional: Cayenne pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, sauté peppers and onions in oil. Add water, broth, and crushed tomatoes. Add seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Serves 4.

Optional: Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Beef Cabbage Soup from George in Binghamton, NY

3/4  ground beef (can use left over steak,or burger)

1 diced large onion,

2-3 cups diced cabbage

2-3 diced fresh carrot

2-3 minced garlic

If beef is uncooked sauté in large pot ,when pink is gone , pour off most of grease, add the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes (can skip but adds some flavor)

Add remaining

1 box beef broth

1 can 280z diced tomatoes

1-2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

Bring to boil and let simmer until veggies tender.

Enjoy over cold noodles or rice (helps cool it down)

How to Avoid Winter Colds

Cold season is right around the corner and there are several ways to avoid getting sick. If you do get sick, there are ways to get you feeling better too.

Preventing Transmission

-The best way to prevent colds is with good hand hygiene. Be sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds frequently during the winter months.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands to prevent the virus from entering the body.

-Stay away from people who are sick. Being in close contact to others who are sick can easily spread the virus to you.

If You Get a Cold

-The best thing to do is to drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.

-Supplements such as zinc, vitamin C and elderberry may help reduce the length of a cold. Zinc lozenges have shown to be effective at reducing the length of a cold when started within 24 hours of symptom onset.

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BrrrlingtonWinterBash_200x300Join Price Chopper/Market 32 at the Brrrlington Winter Bash!

Saturday, February 9 Noon–3pm Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center Burlington, VT   www.enjoyburlington.com The home.grown. Rundown on Some Underdog Winter Squashes winter squash header Now that the weather seems like it’s finally cooling off for good: We offer a variety of tasty, local winter squashes that are perfect for your favorite cold weather meals! November is prime time for winter squashes, and we’re proud to source our hard squashes from farmers here in the Northeast, like Torrey Farms in Elba, NY, Plainville Farm in Hadley, MA, and Mazza Farms in Essex, VT. While many Northeast folks stick with classics like butternut and acorn for cooking and baking, there are a variety of other winter squashes out there that have just as much flavor: we’re here to shed some light on some of those lesser-known winter squashes. Some decorators use the underdog vegetables below on their front porches and fireplace mantles, but they’re actually delicious relatives to favorites like acorn and butternut. Check out the info below!   Sweet Dumpling Squash (pictured above) is a smaller winter squash averaging 4 inches in diameter and weighing less than one pound. Its shape is similar to that of an acorn squash, with an ivory colored skin and green, yellow, or orange stripes running vertically down the sides. Sweet Dumplings are extra tasty when cut in half, baked and drizzled with home.grown. maple syrup. Also, with their bowl-like shape they’re perfect for stuffing with meat, cheeses, and vegetables.  
Raw Organic Delicata Squash

Raw Organic Delicata Squash Ready to Cook With

Delicata Squash is a smaller, underrated squash perfect for the winter. Being smaller than most other squash varieties, they are easy to cut and prepare. They have a sweetness to them that makes them very tasty, you don’t have to add anything. Also, unlike other types of squash, Delicata has a tender, tasty skin perfect for eating, and very convenient for preparing. You can eat them like fries, only they’re a much healthier alternative. In the words of Lloyd Zimmerman of Coxsackie’s Black Horse Farms, “they’re truly underrated!”  
Butter Kin squash on display

Butter Kin fall squash at the farmers market

Butterkin Squash is a cross between a pie pumpkin and a butternut squash. They have a dark orange interior that is deliciously sweet and smooth in texture. Butterkins can be used to substitute in any dish that calls for butternut squash or cooking pumpkins. For the best preparation, cut the butterkin in half, place face down onto a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 400F oven until soft. Remove the seeds and discard. Carefully scrape out the softened squash from the cavity and enjoy!  
Small blue hubbard squash at the market

Small blue hubbard squash at the farmers market

Baby Blue Hubbard Squash was developed in 1953 here in the Northeast by the University of New Hampshire. They have a sweet, yellowish flesh. Luckily, Baby Hubbard Squash is delicious to eat and simple to prepare. Try it roasted, cut into small pieces and tossed with rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s fantastic when served with roasted meats such as turkey, pork, or chicken.       One of the best perks of all winter squashes is the health benefits they provide. They’re a great source of vitamin A and C, potassium, and B vitamins and minerals, including copper and manganese. They’re very versatile and nutritious! No matter which type of squash you select, you can be confident that you’re making a healthy decision. They bring beautiful color and nutrition to your fall harvest meal! These underdog squashes may be lesser known, but they’re always a tasty addition to any cold weather meal. Between the different varieties there is plenty of selection, and numerous health benefits. This year, take a chance on one of these vegetables: you might just find a new favorite!   Are you getting ready to hit the slopes this winter?  In the northeast, we’re used to lots of snow which means being able to take full advantage of winter activities, especially skiing & snowboarding!  Tell us what you’re favorite thing is about skiing or snowboarding for your chance to win either a Family Mountain Passbook or a Big Mountain Passbook!  Two winners will be randomly selected- one winner will receive a Family Mountain Passbook & the other winner will receive a Big Mountain Passbook.  Each of these passbooks sold at Price Chopper contain three full day ski passes to various mountains at a great price!  If you’re in need of a stocking stuffer for a snow-lover, these passbooks make the perfect gift!Ski Any 3 logo The Family Mountain Passbook is good for three all-day lift tickets at Toggenburg Mountain, Wachusett Mountain, Belleayre Mountain, Plattekill Mountain, West Mountain, Song Mountain or Shawnee Mountain.  In addition to great variety, you get an awesome deal too – this package is only $119. Feeling a bit more adventurous?  Then try our Big Mountain Passbook! With this package, you can get three passes to Gore MountainWhiteface, Smuggler’s Notch, Bromley, Windham, or Jiminy Peak. You can’t beat the price of this deal – its only $149 for the package! Plus, all of your Ski Any 3 purchases earn Fuel AdvantEdge Rewards, meaning you can save all the way to the slope. Pick up your book of passes at your local Price Chopper or by clicking right here. Leave your comment here as well as on our Facebook page by December 17th, 2013 to be entered to win.  Read official contest rules here.