Someone do a snow dance...

Seriously, aren't you just a little jealous that the Midwest got all the snow and all we get is frigid temps and then more rain??  Maybe it's just me, but if it's gonna be cold, I'd like a White Christmas. Please.

There's some interesting things afoot for the upcoming holiday, not the least of which is our fabulous gift offerings.  We have a ton of baskets, from a chocolate variety basket to an organic coffee basket to a only-local basket.  (So if you are local vendor, get your stuff in here; people need gifts!)  I also have a small warehouse full of spare baskets, if you'd prefer to make your own.  (And I won't be offended - lots of your ideas are way better than mine!)  Sweet Angela brought us some amazing knit hats to sell - they are lovingly crafted from fair-trade materials, for our littlest ones.  Kate Henderson, of Sheepy Valley, promises she's going to bring us some of her wool and beeswax candles, which promise to be perfect for gifting.  And Lucinda brought us her homemade fudge - Lulu's, and it's mind-blowingly delicious, and perfect for that Medusa gift basket!

We are also anxiously awaiting the final okay to sell beer and wine, as the last drafts of our liquor license app sits before me, hopefully including every single insignificant piece of information the great State of New York needs.  The spirit of the season dictates spirits, after all.

In other news, I need your orders for bulk goods by this Wednesday.  Much to my chagrin, UNFI is refusing to deliver at all during the holiday, despite my pleading, since our run falls on a Friday.  This is really annoying, but there doesn't seem like there's much I can do about it.  For fresh, I think I can get us some good prices at the Menands market, should we run low after Christmas.  (Thanks Fred S.!)  It probably won't be organic, though, but it'll probably work as a stand-in.

I do have turkeys and hams coming in from the amazing Albert's Organics, both of which are either all-natural or organic - my preorder customers get first pick, but there will be a few extras, so let me know if you need one.

Also fresh, we have a fully stocked cooler - lettuces, romaine hearts and leaf, celery, avocado, oranges and bananas, Indian Ladder apples (and cider!), plus lots of packed nuts, including tamari almonds.  We have some Vermont fresh tofu left, as well as lots of farm fresh brown eggs from Baitholts Farm, and from Morning Fog.  Please come and buy some fresh cranberries - it's a good price and I need to get them out of the cooler!  More carrots, broccoli and mushrooms in on Friday. Probably more coconut water and Bolthouse smoothies, too.  We've got a nice selection of cheese, and we added Chevre, herb crusted and not, as well as small, adorable rounds of Brie.  Looking around for something else special, cheese-wise...

The freezer is bursting, folks.  I have Udi's gluten free breads and bagels, and Gillian's gluten-free pie crusts and pizza crusts.  Coming on Friday, Pamela's gluten-free cheesecakes, which sound amazing, even for those of us who live for gluten.  Tons of Dancing Deer cookies and brownies in there as well, with more arriving on Friday.  There have been a few requests for the molasses clove and the oatmeal raisin, so I'm going to give it a try.  Ice cream from Julie's and frozen fruit pops, plus a bunch of chocolate bar pops.  And an overwhelming amount of beef cuts, chicken and salmon.  Just in, too, is a wide selection of pork, including Kielbasa, pork hotdogs and bacon from Morning Fog Farm.  If I could figure out the logistics of a frozen meat basket, OMG, I would be so on it. 

We would also love to do some party platters for holiday get-togethers, so save yourself a little work and order them through us - from veggie trays to cheese and cracker to dessert trays, we can provide fresh, tasty and beautiful platters. 

Lastly, a few non-food related notes.

We are moving forward with a Medusa Council on the Arts, with a planning meeting scheduled for late January.  If you are interested in getting involved, drop me a line and I'll send you an invitation to the google group.

I am interested in a Hilltowns Climate Change Conference.  The local organizations I've approached about this don't really have the time or funding right *now*, but are interested.  Despite the disdainful expressions of the Tea Partiers that frequent the store, I think some discourse around how climate change may effect our region, ecologically and economically, is critically important.  Again, drop me a line if you're interested in getting involved: aroggio@nycap.rr.com.

Love to you all - very merry holidays - and remember not to forget us!