Tag: thanksgiving

Posted on by

Thanksgiving

It’s that time of year when we are supposed to pause and be thankful, reflect, enjoy family and friends, and good food. For those of us who live in northern regions of the world, enjoying this season is a little easier because the weather and the day length lend themselves more to a warm fire and a good book. Even though my morning start time of 5am doesn’t change much with the season, I am getting more sleep, thanks in part to the shorter daylight hours and getting to bed earlier.

Anyone else out there, ever say, “Sleep is overrated!”? Definitely not teenagers! I will confess that I have at least thought that a time or two, but now that I am north of the half century mark, sleep is important and building that discipline going forward is new goal -trying to be asleep by 10pm, wish me luck! 

Habits are so hard to break and bad habits are the hardest. Over time, those bad habits are more like addictions than habits.  Eating is one of those categories that can be a sore spot for many of us. So much food and so many choices, and our will power to eat well and avoid processed or sugary foods can derail in spite of the best of intentions. 

This week is one of those food “traps” that will be foisted upon Americans. Yep, Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful will be greeted with a barrage of pies, ice cream, jello, lots of gravy and, and, and. Just the sheer amount of food will be immense and the selection on most tables will be enough to feed a family for a week.  Most of us are not going to be in control of how much food gets set on the table, but we can control how much food gets put on our plates.

Tristan’s plan to eat a successful Thanksgiving Meal:

To be a successful eater at the Thanksgiving table, I would encourage a few Non-Negotiables. 

Choose to eat better so you will feel better and not bloated or stuffed. It is a choice.

Limit snacking and choose the fruit and veggie snacks.

Plan to eat at the main meal, whether that is lunch or dinner for your family, but be reasonable with your portions. 

Just one plate, not one plate at a time, not heaping (wink, wink). Just one plate, it will be enough food. 🙂

Remember, dessert will be coming, so pick none or just one. I know this is a hard one, because there will be lots of selection and a sampling will be tough to turn down.

These simple non-negotiables or guidelines will help anyone enjoy family, friends and the Thanksgiving meal with energy and enthusiasm. Imagine feeling full and thankful this Thanksgiving. That’s my goal!

 

Enjoy!

 

Tristan

Farmer/Health Advocate

Posted on by

2017 Thanksgiving Holiday Delivery Schedule

2017 Thanksgiving Holiday Delivery Schedule

 

Our office will be closed November 23-25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Because of this closure, our deliveries for that week are scheduled as follows:

 

For delivery Monday

Mill Creek, Silver Firs, Everett, Snohomish, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Woodinville

For delivery Tuesday

Oak Harbor, Anacortes, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Mt. Lk. Terrace

For delivery Wednesday

Camano, Marysville, Stanwood, Seven Lakes, Arlington, Burlington, Mt. Vernon, Sedro Woolley

 

Please remember to let us know if you will need to skip your delivery that week!

Posted on by

Thanksgiving

It is here, and we are here to make your Thanksgiving simpler and less stressful. For the last 20 years we have been helping families enjoy the holiday more by trusting us to source their organically grown produce and through meal planning, allowing people to skip the hectic store shopping. There are two specific events in which our home delivery really saves you time and measurably lowers your stress level: 1) during Thanksgiving week and 2) just before a predicted snow storm! Well, we got the snow storms out of our system and now it is time to brace for the masses who will be heading to the grocery stores.  

Years ago, before I was a farmer, I worked in retail produce, both small boutique and large produce departments. I could almost predict the weather based on shopping patterns—for Thanksgiving, hang onto your hats, that was a wild ride trying to keep the shelves full. If I was lucky enough, I wouldn’t have to work the register and those never-ending lines.  I much prefer the life of a farmer and delivering fresh fruits and vegetables, especially during Thanksgiving. 

Our network of local producers and suppliers allows us to get you the freshest ingredients all year and Thanksgiving is no different except we will be squeezing 5 delivery days into 3 days. Yes, it is a little crazy for us, but not for you. Sit back, place your order, and we will do the rest. 

Food Banks

Every week of the year, Klesick’s, with your help, donates 20 boxes of good to area food banks which is in addition to the “end of the week” produce that is still useable but not up to our quality standards.

 We also have an opportunity to partner with local food banks for Thanksgiving. The Holidays are especially difficult for families in need. We partner with local food banks because:

1. We believe that access to good organic produce is not a privilege, but a basic right.

 2. We believe that local problems are best solved at the local level. 

3.  We have the relationships, the network and distribution system to make a difference in solving hunger at the local level.

Please consider partnering with us this Thanksgiving by purchasing one (or more) Holiday Donation boxes and we will do the rest. We will send you a tax receipt in January for your donations that you can deduct from your taxes.

 We are stronger together,

 

Tristan

Farmer/Health Advocate

 

 

Shop the Holiday Box here: 


Posted on by

Time to Make Some Plans

Is it hard to believe that it’s already time to be planning for Thanksgiving? Those of us in the farming and food business have already been planning for this major food holiday, but now it is time to share with you what we are “cooking up” on our end for deliveries.

Delivery Schedules:

For the week of Thanksgiving, all deliveries will be happening Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Which means if your normal delivery day is Thursday, Friday or Saturday, your order Thanksgiving week will be before the Holiday. Don’t worry about it now, we will email and communicate the delivery changes well in advance.

Holiday boxes: 

For the Last 20 years we have been helping families with their Thanksgiving meal planning. This year will be no different, except, we have two ways to order your Thanksgiving items.

1.            You can either order the Holiday Box (with my regular order) or the Holiday Box (replacing my regular order). Either way, the Holiday Box is the same box, but inevitably Mike will be thinking about Holiday box orders that also have your regular boxes still being ordered. Many of you intend to order a holiday box and your regular order and conversely many of you intend to only order a holiday box, but forget to move your current order out. This change in how you order the Holiday Boxes, will make it easier on Mike to get your order perfect and make sure you get exactly what you ordered perfectly.

2.            The Holiday Boxes are available for the weeks of November 12th through December 2nd. The Holiday box is a popular box all month.

3.            You can also send a Holiday Donation Box to one of our 8 food banks that we partner with weekly and make this Holiday Season even more nutritious for a family in need. For each donation box purchased, we send out end of year tax receipts.

4.            And as usual, you can order all your Thanksgiving ingredients “a la carte“.

5.            The Holiday Box menu and prices are available below. 

Changes to the Box of Good Menus

Starting the week of November 12th, we are adding two new boxes of good and will be ending the Seasonal NW Box. The Seasonal NW Box will resume in May/June next year when the local farm season gets going again.

Our Essential line of boxes consists of 4 boxes: Fruit, Fruit/Vegetable, Fruit/Salad and Vegetable/Salad. These options have been very popular with many of you, but there are a lot of you that need/want more quantity than the Essential line has to offer. So, we are now offering the same options at our Middle Tier, which we are renaming the Family Tier.

The Family Tier already consists of the Fruit Box, Vegetable Box, and Family Box. We are adding a Fruit/Vegetable Box and a Fruit/Salad Box. The beauty in this restructuring is it will give you more options to tailor your orders to your families eating preferences. Of course, shopping online at klesickfarms.com is a great way to get exactly what you want, but many of you, also, love to get a box of good and leave the menu planning to us. 

 

Thank you,

Tristan,

Farmer/Health Advocate

 

 

Holiday Box Menu—$40

Granny Smith Apples, 5 each.

Green Beans, 1 lb.

Cranberries, 7.5 oz.

Garnet Yams, 2 lbs.

Satsumas, 1 lb.

Carrots, 2 lbs.

Breadcubes for Stuffing, 1 lb.

Yellow Potatoes, 2 lbs.

Celery, 1 bunch

Yellow Onions, 1 lb.

Acorn Squash, 1 ea.

Navel Oranges, 2 ea.

 

The Holiday DONATION Box—to Food Banks 11/17

Purchase a Holiday Donation Box for only $32 (reg. Holiday Box price $40), to be given to local food banks the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Last year 130 Holiday Donation Boxes were distributed and this year we’d love to have a greater impact!

The volunteers at the food banks have expressed again and again how wonderful and satisfying it is to be able to supply people with fresh produce.

You can order a Holiday Donation Box online or by contacting our office.

Posted on by

Thoughts With Ashley

“So I’m thinking about ordering a pre-cooked turkey.” A friend texted me two days before Thanksgiving. It’s this time of year when the texts from friends and family are less about “how are you doing?” and more closely resemble a conversation with the Butterball helpline. I love it. I consider it an absolute pleasure to be able to speak for hours about all butter crusts, to par-bake or not to par-bake and brining – wet, dry, is it really needed (yes, salt and pepper the day before)? My ease and joy in the kitchen is a gift and one that I absolutely am delighted to share.

“Should I order a pre-cooked turkey? Should I be scared about cooking a turkey?” My friend continued. Even through my iPhone screen I could feel the tension. He was kicking himself for not thinking about all of this sooner and feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the turkey cooking task. “First of all roasting a turkey is not hard.” I started “but don’t let the turkey cooking overshadow the point of the holiday. If a pre-cooked turkey will help you focus on the actual thanks-giving and the company of friends and family then that’s the way to go.”

I love spending hours in the kitchen slowly simmering homemade stock for the purpose of creating a luscious and deeply flavored gravy. Pie crusts and bread doughs relax in the fridge days before the main event. Weeks before I’m scouring blogs, magazines and cookbooks trying to craft the perfect menu although I don’t usually iron out all of the details until the day before. But I realize that not everyone is like me.

And while the table will be mightily set with a half a dozen dishes including caramelized squash with feta and onion, a crisp Brussels sprouts salad with smoky bacon and tart cranberries and a pumpkin pie with a thick sugar cap, the sink will also be piled high with dishes, there will be socks scattered around the house that the dog has chewed and I’ll be lucky if the kids have brushed their hair. But I’m happy and giving thanks for a bustling kitchen and a house filled with people I love.

This time of year is so busy, the endless tasks can so easily choke out the joy and quite frankly the purpose of all the celebrating in the first place. I hope for all of us that the moment we start to feel overwhelmed we’ll order a pre-cooked turkey, or whatever that may look like for all of us. I’ll forgive myself for the lack of Christmas garnish around the house or unmade beds if it means that I’m digging deeper into the peace, hope, and joy that this season seeks to bring us.

Ashley Rodriguez

Food Blogger, notwithoutsalt.com

Posted on by

Thanksgiving Holiday Delivery Schedule 2016

Thanksgiving Holiday Delivery Schedule

Our office will be closed November 24-27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Because of this closure, our deliveries for that week are scheduled as follows:

For delivery Monday:

Tuesday customers, Wednesday customers (except customers in Anacortes and Mukilteo) and customers in Shoreline

For delivery Tuesday:

Wednesday customers in Anacortes and Mukilteo, Thursday customers

For delivery Wednesday:

Friday and Saturday customers

 

Travelling out of town for Thanksgiving? 

Please remember to let us know if you will need to skip your delivery that week.

Posted on by

Planning for Your Holiday Meal

Planning for Your Holiday Meal

Every Thanksgiving holiday season we offer a special Holiday Box ($40) full of traditional organic Thanksgiving meal items for your celebration. Not only can you schedule a Holiday Box to be delivered the week of Thanksgiving, but it is also available the week before and the week after (available Nov. 13-Dec. 3). You can have this box delivered along with your regular order or in place of your regular order (please specify your preference when placing your order). The box menu is as follows:

Holiday Box Menu

Granny Smith Apples, 5 each.

Green Beans, 1 lb.

Cranberries, 7.5 oz.

Garnet Yams, 2 lbs.

Navel Oranges, 4 each.

Carrots, 2 lbs.

Breadcubes for Stuffing, 1 lb.

Yellow Potatoes, 3 lbs.

Celery, 1 bunch

Yellow Onions, 1 lb.

Delicata Squash, 2 ea.

Remembering Neighbors in Need.

If your celebration includes helping the less fortunate who live in our community, we would like to partner with you by giving you the opportunity to purchase a discounted Holiday Donation Box for only $32, to be given to local food banks the week before Thanksgiving. Last year 122 Holiday Donation Boxes were distributed and this year we’d love to have a greater impact. The volunteers at the food banks have expressed again and again how wonderful and satisfying it is to be able to supply people with fresh produce. You can order a Holiday Donation Box here.

 

Tristan Klesick, Farmer/Health Advocate.

 

Read this week’s How to Eat Your Box! here.

Posted on by

Thanksgiving

What! It’s time to be thinking about Holidays? Do you ever think how we eat our way through the calendar? November – Thanksgiving; December – Christmas; January – New Year’s Day and the Super bowl (Go Hawks!).

If we are not intentional about what we eat, the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) will be. The GMA has a plan for the holidays: more sugar, more GMO’s and more processed packaged foods. It is almost as if celebrating is akin to more CALORIES and not good ones, either. But how does the “intentional” part work itself out? Well, has Thanksgiving moved for the last 152 years? NO! it is always on the 4th Thursday of November. But every year millions of Americans are going to buy the same sugary, GMO laden foods and wonder why on Friday after Thanksgiving the bathroom scale has moved the wrong direction and that they don’t feel all that great either! It’s probably because sugar is fleeting and the aftermath is lasting.

One blogger encouraged their readers to wear pants with elastic to dinner so they won’t be as uncomfortable when they over eat! Okay, we are all probably going to indulge a little with our family and friends. Maybe this year we should plan for the indulgences by eating more intentionally NOW! Start moving the scale in the right direction now, so that when Grandma offers/expects you to have another piece of pie, you will have created some margin for Thanksgiving. I can hear it now, “No thank you. The pecan, pumpkin and apple pies tasted great. Three pieces is plenty, really.” 🙂

Be intentional now or be intentional later. We are all going to have to be intentional at some point. Here at Klesick Farms we like to say, “Eat Better, Feel Better.” It even works in November.

How to Eat Your Box

We are adding a new section to our Newsletter this week. We are calling it “How to Eat Your Box”. Original, eh? Anna, my millennial menu planner, felt like people just aren’t cooking and she wanted to provide some helpful tips. Eating well is not mystical or complicated. With just a few techniques you can be “Zen” master in the kitchen. In fact, most fruits and vegetables are easy to use and are at their healthiest when minimally cooked or prepared. Check it out here on the blog.

Thanksgiving Donation Program

We are making our Holiday Donation Box for Thanksgiving available for ordering this week. Last year, our Box of Good Food Family donated 156 boxes of high quality, super nutritious food to area food banks. Please consider donating one or more boxes to a family in need. You place the order, we pack it, deliver it and a food bank volunteer gets it to a family in need. Super simple, super effective!

Farmer/Health Advocate, Tristan

Posted on by

Thanksgiving

Do the words of thankfulness come rolling off your tongue like a swift flowing stream or do you have to pause and reflect like a calm beautiful pond? Is your list brief or overflowing? Does your list include immediate loved ones, friends, your employment or retirement? Does it include your pets or the environment? Are you thankful for our Government or parts of the government, like fire fighters, police officers or politicians? Are you thankful for everyday conveniences, like hot and cold water, electric heat and ranges or overflowing amounts of food year round? Are you thankful that you have the freedom to vote, exercise free speech and run for elected office?

I think if each of us were intentional about our thankfulness, took a few minutes and began to log what we are thankful for, the list and its length might be very surprising

Thankfulness is a perspective—it is a choice. I know that this year has had many challenges for many families—hard things like cancer, death, job loss or loved ones moving away. But, if you are reading this newsletter right now, you are still “in the game” and right now it is your turn to bat.

As the pitch called Thanksgiving approaches your plate this week, are you going to swing with all your might and hit a homerun? I believe you can, in fact, I know you can, because hitting a Thanksgiving pitch is the easiest one to hit. It starts out like this, “I am thankful for….” Then watch joy begin to flood your heart and a smile appear on your face, and that joy and that smile, well, they are downright contagious. Before you know it, there will be more genuine smiles all around—smiles that begin with your thankful heart.

May this Thanksgiving be the best because we all have so much for which to be thankful!

tristan-sign

Tristan Klesick

Posted on by

The Week Before Thanksgiving

The next six weeks are going to be brutal! For those of us who are trying to navigate the “Standard American Diet” (aka, S.A.D.) food system by making good food choices, it doesn’t get much harder than Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s! And since the high fat and high sugar groups have hijacked our food system, it can be really hard to eat well. Thankfully, this Thanksgiving can be more successful than ever, if we implement a few simple strategies.

Strategy #1:  Avoid the grocery store! Most of you already are successful at this because you get a box of good delivered—saving both time and money

Strategy #2:  Avoid the middle of the grocery store—saving more time, money, and calories.

Strategy #3:  Practice, Preach and live Portion Control—preventing the “I ate too much” feeling.

Strategy #4:  Think about how good dessert will taste—helping you not eat too much at dinner.

Strategy #5:  Repeat strategies 1, 2 and 3 for dessert—making your own desserts or ordering them from us.

Sure this is a little tongue-and-cheek, but if we don’t have a PLAN for Thanksgiving and this holiday season, it will own us! And at our daily “weigh in” we will be wishing (and feeling) we had a little less to eat. And it won’t be the fruits and vegetables that did us in either! It will have been ourselves (don’t you hate the truth). Really, I am responsible for eating well, no one else. Yep, it comes down to the person in the mirror to make the choices. You can do it!

Holiday Donation Boxes
Consider partnering with us to alleviate hunger this holiday season. It is still not too late to order a Holiday Donation Box. Every week, we partner with you to get healthy produce out to eight food banks in our community, but at Thanksgiving we want to send even more good food to and through our local food banks. We make it ultra-simple: you order, we pack and deliver. And this season we are sending a Matty Ride Christmas CD, titled I would be fine with Christmas as a thank you for partnering with us.

Thank you,

tristan-sign

Tristan Klesick