welcome 2021 - winter newsletter

a note from scott

If I’m not mistaken this is the dead of winter.  I’ve been here before. The wood pile is getting low and I worry about making it through the last winter storm.  Should I call for another load or wait and gamble on global warming to bail me out? The kids will say goodbye this week. They’ve had enough of guest bedrooms, shared baths and family dinners.  The snow is deep and will be deeper still by the end of the week and temperatures are down in the teens. I’ve started wearing a hat in the house.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow last Tuesday and thus predicted six more weeks of winter.  However I put as much confidence in “the Hog,” as he is affectionately known in western Pennsylvania,  as I do in a Gamestop investment.  I can be superstitious and irrational but I draw the line at prognosticating woodchucks and Reddit investing.

No matter how gray the short term forecast, It’s always sunny at the store. We have a great new management team that is having fun every day planning new things for Harvard. Their energy overwhelms me.  They rolled out fantastic looking pizzas for the Super Bowl, have raspberry cakes and dinners for two to celebrate Valentine's Day, stocked (and tasted) new Russian vodkas and planned the limited reopening of the store, Covid safe and NABOH approved. And those are just the big things; they are making scores of little adjustments everyday to bring you more products cheaper. I wish you could meet them without their masks. They love to smile.  

We’ll now be open Tuesday - Sunday 9-5 with limited capacity in the store, as well as continuing the Pizza Parlor from Tuesday - Sunday 4 - 8 PM (this week we'll run pizza Thursday 2/11 - Sunday 2/14, 4 - 8 PM)..

We’re still doing curbside and pickup orders, but we’re really thrilled to be able to have you walk through our doors again and shop. Call us at 978 430 0062, and as always, shop online HERE.

Scott

We’re open for in person shopping and curbside pickup tuesday-sunday 9-5, and pizza parlor is open from 4-8!

Our prepared foods fridge selections rotate daily - from dips and spreads, to dinners, pasta dishes and salads, everything is made from scratch in our kitchen. Check out today’s selection by clicking HERE!

new faces

Recipes, PROMOTIONS, AND More!

spotlight on: VODKA

TKKS make vodka cocktails with the package store new arrivals in this month’s episode!

BERRY WHITE COCKTAIL

From Cocktails with Corinne, a local mixologist!

Ingredients:

• 3 Blueberries, 2 Raspberries & 1 Black Raspberry

• 4 Mint leaves

• Egg White

• Rhubarb Bitters

• 2 oz Russian Jewel Vodka (available in store)

• 1 oz Champagne Syrup (recipe below)

• 1 oz Coconut Milk

• 1 oz Lemon Juice

Method:

In a shaker, muddle berry mixture in champagne syrup. Add the remaining ingredients and dry shake (without ice) for 20 seconds. Add ice and shake again for 15 seconds or until the outside of your shaker is frosted. Double strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Optional: Top with a few drops of Berry Bitters, drag a toothpick through the center of the drops to create a heart shape!

Cheers!

Champagne syrup:

Using your favorite champagne or sparkling wine (we used Lingot Martin Bugey Cerdon Gamay French Rosé Sparkling Wine, linked and in store), combine one cup of sugar and one cup of champagne to a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved, then remove from heat and store in a nonreactive glass container, like a mason jar. Store in your fridge for up to a month!

CLASSIC DIRTY MARTINI

3 oz. vodka (we used Jewel of Russia. Deep Blue is another great alternative also in store now.)

.5 oz. extra dry vermouth (Dolin Vermouth Dry Liqueur, linked and in store.)

.5 oz. olive juice

Green olives - we prefer blue cheese stuffed

1. Pour a very small amount of olive juice and vermouth in a martini glass. Swirl around so the entire inside is coated, and stick it in the freezer. If you have a spritz bottle, even better.

2. Combine the gin, vermouth, and olive juice in a cocktail shaker and stir with ice. STIRRING is SO important, because shaking will dilute the ingredients - and we’re going all in here. Maximum brine, maximum ABV.

3. Strain into your chilled martini or coupe glass.

4. Garnish with multiple blue cheese stuffed olives. Drink in the bath, by the fire, at 4pm, we aren’t judging. It’s good to feel this decadent.

VESPER MARTINI (FOR THOSE WHO DON’T LIKE OLIVES, THIS IS 007’S SIGNATURE)

1 oz. vodka (we used Jewel of Russia. Deep Blue is another great alternative also in store now.)

3 oz. gin (we used Hayman’s, linked and in store.)

.5 oz. extra dry vermouth or lilliet (Dolin Vermouth Dry Liqueur, linked and in store.)

Lemon peel (rub on rim and for garnish)

1. Follow same directions as above, just without olive juice! This cocktail can be dry shaken or stirred.

New + Notable: The insanely awesome pandemic playbook

a humorous mental health guide for kids

by Elizabeth Englander, Phd and Katharine Covino, EdD (friends of the store!) and illustrated by Caroline Charland (a 7th grade Harvard student!)

we chatted with katy, elizabeth and caroline about the idea behind the book and how it came to fruition!

What sparked the idea to create the book?

Elizabeth and I had already written two children's books. The Insanely Awesome Cell Phone Book and The Insanely Awesome Adventures Online. Like this book, those earlier books focus on ways of merging science-based research (into the ways that kids use digital technology) and humor as a way of both entertaining kids while also sharing important information. In terms of the start of this book, each time Elizabeth and I met virtually to write during the pandemic, we talked a lot about the challenges of our lives. We talked most about the ways that the pandemic had affected our children. We realized in those conversations that we had the experience, the expertise, and the interest to write a book that could support kids (and families) in this difficult time.

What did you find most important that you wanted to convey to teens/tweens?

We have two central goals. First, we want to help kids 8-11 understand more about what's going on right now in an accessible, age-appropriate way. We want to take big terms that are tossed around a lot, and make them easier to understand and process. Adults know what 'Risk' and 'Benefit' mean, but kids don't always know. Adults can read an article or hear a news story and understand 'The Three Cs' regarding how Coronavirus is transmitted, but kids need resources written specifically for them. We also want to give kids advice about things they can do to feel better. Going for a walk with a friend, making brownies for a neighbor, or shoveling your grandma's walkway - all of these are safe ways that kids can help themselves feel better while also helping others.

How have tweens been impacted in a different way than adults by COVID?

Tweens have been impacted in so many ways. School is different. Activities are different. Sports are different. Friendships are different. Covid has impacted everyone, but it's our kids who have lost a lot. It's important that we recognize that. It's also important that we help kids understand that a) there are still things they can do now that are worthwhile and fun and b) that this won't last forever.

Caroline, what were the challenges and proudest moments for you in this process?
One of the challenges was keeping up with my school work while also creating the number of original pieces that they were looking for. I've never been on such a strict deadline with so many people counting on me! There were a few late nights towards the end of the project to make sure all of the work got done.  While there was a lot to do, my mom was with me for the whole project.  Her support made even the final crunchtime fun - we laughed a lot!

I have so many proud moments in this experience. The first one was the most memorable - when the authors saw my art online and called my Mom to ask if I would be interested in illustrating the book. At first, I didn't believe it - that a 12 year old would be chosen to be part of such an important project! I was so excited. The second most exciting moment was when the book was done and I got to see my work in print. I get excited every time we go into a bookstore, or the General and I see my artwork on the shelf! I am proud to be part of a project that is so essential for the mental health of kids like me living through the pandemic.

Katy + Elizabeth, would you make more playbooks for tough situations for teens/tweens?

YES! As I've said, we have two books that we've already written that are in the process of being published. The Insanely Awesome Cell Phone Book is for kids 8-11 who have just gotten their first cell phone. The Insanely Awesome Adventures Online is for kids 5-7 who are using digital technology (their mom's cell phone or their sister's tablet), but who aren't the primary owners of the devices. We are also in the process of writing a The Insanely Awesome POST Pandemic Playbook. That book will explore the process of 'going back.' Going back to school, going back to activities, going back to sports, and going back to 'normal.' Just as kids struggled when everything moved remote, they will also struggle when everything goes back to 'in-person.' That book will come out later this year. We also have plans to write books for girls and boys that explore the ways that they each use and interact with digital technology. These books will all be available at https://www.insanelyawesomebooks.com/

What did you enjoy most about the writing process?

The thing that I love the most about writing these books is the process by which Elizabeth brings her expertise and her research into the ways kids use and interact with digital technology, and I think creatively about how to make that information accessible and funny. My favorite part is trying to make important information something kids want to read and enjoy. If we're talking about stress, for example, it was fun to try and find ways to help kids understand it. I landed on mixing paints (and ending up with a yucky color) as a way of showing how stress is a mix of different emotions.

What is your hope for the book?

Katy: There are two things that I hope for where the book is concerned. First, I hope that kids like it! I hope that they think it's funny, and I hope that they want to read it. I also hope that the book is helpful. If the book can be entertaining and useful - then we're doing our job.

Caroline: I hope that this book helps a lot of people and can reach kids who are struggling with the challenges of the pandemic. In the book the authors talk about mental health problems growing like a crystal kit. At first, it doesn't look like much - but pretty quickly it grows into something large and harder to manage. Kids might not even realize how the pandemic is affecting their health - mentally and physically. I hope that kids can read this book, laugh and learn a little bit about how to take care of themselves until things get back to normal.

What is going on in both your lives you want readers of the HGS newsletter to know about!
I want HGS newsletter readers to know that we are doing virtual readings! Anyone interested in setting up a virtual reading (for their classroom, their library, or their Girl Scout troop) should be in touch with me at kcovinop@fitchburgstate.edu. Reading the books with kids, sharing the hilarious illustrations, and getting to hear them laugh and talk together -- there's really nothing BETTER!

Head to The General Store to get your signed copy today!

To spread the love back to our local students, show us your student ID in store for 20% off, or parents, reserve lunch for your child and use the code student20 for 20% off!