Summer Break for the Kids

We enjoyed perfect weather for the Memorial Day holiday over this past weekend!  What a busy time it was for so many in our neighborhood!  Besides the Velvet Ice Cream annual Ice Cream Festival in Utica, there was the Honor Ride fundraising bicycle tour to help disabled veterans.  There was also the Northridge High School Prom and preparations for the upcoming graduation ceremonies.  Many people were enjoying backyard picnics, and some visited local cemeteries to honor fallen soldiers and remember loved ones.

For some, it was business as usual.  Many retail sales events were going on all over the area.  New cars, new clothes for the season, food for the barbeque--many people had to work their regular  jobs over the holiday so that everyone else could enjoy the holiday!  Local farmers took advantage of the beautiful weather to get their crops planted or fields prepared for planting.

I was one of those working on the holiday to be sure the store was fully stocked with milk, ice cream, meat, cheese, and ice cubes!  The delivery drivers were bringing products to the stores, and the stores were busily stocking and selling, and looking forward to picnics later in the afternoon and evening!

 

 

Thinking ahead to graduations and kids being home for the summer, we have selected some of the most requested treats for our coolers and freezers in the store this week:

 

• Large, take-n-bake Pepperoni Pizzas
• Fresh Bratwurst
• Quarter-Pound hamburger patties
• Ice Cream including Moose Tracks, Strawberry, Mint Chocolate Chip, Butter Pecan, and Vanilla
• Chicken Salad, Ham Salad, and Potato Salad
• Ice Cold Beer including imports and craft beers
• Easy-to-enjoy wine and mixed beverages
• New flavors of soda pop
• New varieties of snacks

Enjoy this unofficial beginning of Summer!  Please stop by the store to see what is new!

It is time to celebrate graduations, summer vacations, pool season, and warm weather!

Less Than Three Weeks of School Left

This is "home stretch" for our local school district.  The Senior Prom is over and Memorial Day Holiday will be here in under two weeks!  Graduation parties are being planned.  Local boys and girls, young men and women, are thinking about lazy days of summer!   Many are looking forward to the Hartford Fair and nearby county fairs where some will display their prize pigs, calves, rabbits, and chickens!

I remember one of my most enjoyable summer days as a kid was relaxing in a lawn chair under the big shade tree in the back yard and getting "lost" in a good book.  I know that must sound boring to kids these days, but this was before personal computers, smart phones (or cell phones at all), and before I even learned to drive.  Since my Mom didn't drive, I had no expectations of being chauffeured anywhere.

Walking to the local mall with my girlfriends and just "hanging out" was another favorite past-time. We loved stopping at the Woolworth's snack bar for some French fries and a Coke or riding the escalator to May's Department Store basement for a soft-serve malt!   Riding our bicycles around the neighborhood on a sunny day let us experience the sights, sounds, and smells of summer in the suburbs!

I looked forward to our family's annual summer vacation to the Smokey Mountains, but the two weeks always went by so quickly! I remember an occasional afternoon at the beach or public swimming pool, a weekend picnic at the park after a pleasant drive along country roads,  and a few summer concerts outdoors with family.

Whatever you plan to do this Summer, enjoy yourselves and take some time to relax!  Please stop by the Homer Village Market and see what you might need for your picnic basket or backyard gatherings during this mild weather leading to a long, hot summer!

An Interesting Perspective on Beer

I think this article brings out a valid point. (See link below.) When it comes to beer drinkers today, there are those willing to experiment, and then there are those who stick with their favorite brand.  I hadn't really considered it having anything to do with a "generation gap," but there could be something to that!

When Homer Village Market got its permit to sell beer and wine in February 2014, we wanted to be ready for all kinds of beer and wine consumers that might be stopping by for the first time to see what was in stock.   After about sixty days, it is becoming apparent that the majority of beer drinking consumers shopping at the store prefer a particular brand.  The traditional brands of beer made by the largest domestic breweries are most popular. 

We will continue to bring a variety of craft beers and seasonal varieties into the store for those who might want to experiment!  You can find Omme Gang Brewerie's Rare VOS in the cooler at a reasonable price point right now - a four-pack for $7.99.  It is one of the beers mentioned in the following article about the "luxury beer" market.  The priciest bottle we have in the store is called Urban Cowboy, brewed by Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, Ohio.  At $12.99 for one bottle the size of a bottle of wine, it is a delicious, Belgian-style stout beer to share or for a special occasion!

It is fun to do beer research and bring in new beers for people to try.  I once thought Guinness Extra Stout was my favorite dark beer until I tried Anchor Porter.  You might think New Belgium's Fat Tire is your new favorite Belgian style ale--until you try Omme Gang's Rare VOS! 

Please stop by and see what's new, or feel free to submit your requests!


http://www.cnbc.com/id/101636905