News
Visit our Showroom This Sunday October 21 2016
Is it summer or fall? The weather this week has me thinking of June or July but not October. As it turns out the weather will be more seasonal for our Fall Open House this Sunday. I’ve been busy all week getting the showroom ready. I hope you’ll be able to join the fun as we open our doors, welcome the fall and the busy holiday season ahead.
Here is a preview of all the excitement we have in store...
Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce Sampling: From 1:30-3pm, Stefanie, the creator of Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces, will be on site with her delicious sauces warmed up and ready to taste.
EssieSpice TamarindOh! Tequila Sunrise Punch: We are always looking for new ways to use our products and this recipe from EssieSpice is perfect. We’ll have a kid-friendly version as well.
Special Markdowns: We have a few specials cooked up for Sunday including Rococo Chocolates Bee Bars for just $1 each and Tiny But Mighty Popcorn at half-price!
Raffle Give Away: Enter to win a Big Apple Gift Set featuring all or our local artisans.
I hope to see you on Sunday. Here are the details one more time!
Julie’s Beet Open House
Sunday October 23rd, 11a – 5p
210 West 80th Street
New York, NY 10024
Happy Friday,
Julie
Our trip to The BIG Chocolate Show October 14 2016
Last Saturday I was able to attend The Big Chocolate Show in New York City. As you can imagine, it was a chocolate lovers dream. The show was at the Terminal Stores in New York, which once was a long tunnel trains passed through and is now a spectacular event space. It also is home to many offices, Colombe Coffee and The Porchlight. The setting was great and the chocolate did not disappoint.
I was really excited to try chocolate from newer producers. I can assure the bean-to-bar movement is still going strong. I tasted single origin chocolates made in everywhere from Mexico to Hoboken, New Jersey and Brooklyn too! I also got to learn more about the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and see what is on the horizon for the chocolate industry.
Here are the products that really stood out to me:
Gotham Chocolate: These chocolate bars and truffles are made in the kitchens at Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City. They had intense dark chocolate with coffee and white chocolate with smoked cinnamon from our friends at La Boîte. The packaging is stunning and the chocolate was really smooth and tasty.
John & Kira’s: This chocolate company is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They use delicious Valrhona Chocolate in their creations and the rest of the ingredients are typically local products. I tasted a divine honey caramel made with honey from a local farm. I bought some Pumpkin Spice Caramels to save for a special treat on Halloween.
Wolter Chocolate: This is one of the finest chocolates I have ever tasted from Mexico. It goes from tree to bar in the Tabasco region of Mexico. The company is just starting out and it was great to hear their stories of making chocolate and finding their way into the US market.
I left the show with a belly full of chocolate and a smile on my face. I have to say my two-year-old did too! I still think our collection of Rococo Chocolates and Cacao Prieto are outstanding among the competition. Now that the weather has cooled off it is time for chocolate to take center stage. We're busy getting ready for our open house next weekend. Stop by and enjoy a bar or two or three!
Happy Friday,
Julie
NYC Open House October 07 2016
In just a little over two weeks, we will be hosting another Open House at our NYC Showroom. This year, we will be highlighting all of our NYC based artisans. We hope you will be able to join us for a day full of amazing artisans and delicious food New York City Style!
Stefanie, the creator of Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces will be tasting her newest sauce, Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce. Be one of the first to taste this delicious addition to her already wonderful line of tomato sauces.
Sample a delicious cocktail using the sauces from EssieSpice. You’ll be able to take home the collection of all three sauces at the reduced price of $25. We will also feature samples from our local artisans La Boite, Cacao Prieto, Empire Mayonnaise Company and Rick's Picks.
Lots of other wonderful products will be available at reduced prices including Tiny But Mighty Popcorn and Rococo Chocolates. We will also be giving away one of our Big Apple Gift Sets featuring the amazing artisans from New York City.
We hope to see you there!
Here are the details:
Julie’s Beet Open House
Sunday October 23, 2016
11am – 5pm
210 West 80th Street
New York, NY 10024
Happy Friday,
Julie
Fall is Here! September 23 2016
Yesterday marked the first official day of fall, if you are looking at the calendar. The weather in New York seems to be paying attention as we have relatively cool temperatures ahead of us. I’m excited to get out my jackets and sweaters. I just love being outside with a little chill in the air while still enjoying lots of sunshine.
While the beginning of fall marks a change in weather it also marks a transition from the freedom of the summer to the structure of the fall and the rest of the school year. My son is finishing his second week of school and we are starting to get into a routine. Having a daily routine helps me stay focused and also let’s me plan ahead. Right now I’m working on the details of our Fall Open House. Save the date for Sunday October 23rd. If you are in the New York area I hope you’ll make plans to pop by and see what we are all about. I’m not going to spoil all of the surprises just yet, but know it is going to be a fantastic day filled with delicious samples from our magnificent marketplace!
I hope the autumn weather is sneaking in wherever you are. Have a great weekend picking apples, raking leaves and watching football.
Happy Friday,
Julie
Wedding Bells October 16 2015
This weekend I am off to a family wedding and it got me thinking about my wedding. There are so many details that go into planning the perfect event and everyone’s idea of perfect is different. You may be one of those people who look at all of the little details or take a more laid back approach and just focus on the joy of the occasion.
I like to think I took an approach somewhere in the middle. The details were very important to me as I think that is what made the day unique to my husband and myself. We wanted all of our guests to feel the joy of the occasion so had some sparkling wine waiting for them as they entered. We wanted them to feel warm as they went back out in to the winter night so had coffee, hot chocolate and cookies waiting on the way out. We also had some La Boîte Spices as our wedding favors so our family and friends could remember the day even after they left the party.
While I take a lot of pride in organization and the fine details, on my wedding day I did what I tell all brides to do(and is advice given to me by someone very wise although I cannot remember who!)… Enjoy your day, no one knows what all of the details are supposed to be except you. Let them think everything is how you planned and everyone will have a great time! This is advice that can be applied in any situation from a simple dinner party to a large event. It worked for me that day and I still use the advice when planning events, like our Open House coming up on Halloween. I hope you’ll be able to join and have a great time tasting delicious products from our marketplace. I promise to have a great time so you can enjoy yourself as well!
I am sure Rachel & Brian’s wedding will be flawless this weekend. I’m looking forward to a fantastic weekend with my family. I hope you enjoy yours!
Happy Friday!
Julie
College Football Season, We have Your Snacks Covered September 11 2015
College Football has begun and I’m sad to report my Purdue Boilermakers are starting the season with a loss. Hopefully they will turn that around next week against Indiana State. One thing that comes with football season are lots of Saturday afternoons spent watching the games. Even if your team isn’t winning you can always get excited about some delicious snacks during the game!
We are thrilled to welcome Tiny But Mighty Popcorn to the marketplace at Julie’s Beet. Tiny But Mighty Popcorn is an ancient heirloom popcorn grown in the great state of Iowa. Any Hawkeyes or Cardinals fans out there? The tiny popcorn has been preserved to stay small resulting in tiny kernels with an extremely thin outer hull. That means you have a delicious tender popcorn that won’t get stuck in your teeth! We are carrying Tiny But Mighty’s Microwave Popcorn, so in less than 4 minutes you’ll have the perfect snack ready for your crew. Try the traditional butter flavor or the sweet and salty Kettle Corn. Read more about Tiny But Mighty here.
Have a great weekend watching football and enjoying some delicious snacks.
Happy Friday,
Julie
Get Organized for Back to School! September 04 2015
Summer is coming to an end as Labor Day approaches this Monday. For many of you this also means back to school time! While my son isn’t old enough for school, this is the time of the year that I tend to get more organized for the season ahead. Fall typically means more social commitments since everyone has returned from their summer travels and before we know it the holiday season will be upon us. Here are a few ideas I can share on how I try to keep my life more organized. Being organized helps me relax and hopefully it can do the same for you.
- Plan ahead – On Sunday evening I always look at the week ahead to see what our commitments are, who will be home for dinner on what nights and just see what important plans we have coming up. I do my menu planning almost a week in advance so I’m not frantic at the last minute and am able to feed my family something delicious and hopefully nutritious. I do everything I am able to do the night before, so there are not too many last minute items that need to be handled in the morning. I think this comes from working in a restaurant. There were so many variables that you never knew what you were going to walk in to the next day. By planning ahead and preparing as much as possible the night before, the next day typically went a lot smoother.
- Write Lists – I typically forget everything but if I write it down, I will eventually remember it. I write lists for everything from what I am going to do on a certain day to what I’m going to buy at the grocery. I keep an ongoing list for the grocery so when I run out of an item, I’ll write it down straight away. Try making lists (even just typing up a note on your smartphone) and see if it helps you through the day.
- Delegate - Sure you can try to do everything, but then you might go crazy. With a little organization you can delegate some of your projects to others around the house. Having someone else do something as small as taking out the trash will save you some time and energy.
- Keep a Calendar – I create a special calendar each year for my family full of pictures and IMPORTANT dates like birthdays and anniversaries. I have this hanging on the wall so I won’t forget any of those important dates. I also write down any travel plans we have and any expected visitors. I use the calendar on my iPhone to keep track of doctor’s appointments, classes and other meetings. Set a reminder a few hours or days ahead if you think you’re likely to forget something.
I hope by being organized you will be able to enjoy more time with your family and friends.
Have a great Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the sunshine, barbecues and pool parties.
Happy Friday,
Julie