September 2009 Newsletter

Hi Neighbor!

We can't wait to see you all when you come in to pick out your pumpkins, gourds, mums and more fall items. But don't forget -- Todays Harvest Flowers can take care of your fresh and silk flower needs! Read on to learn more.

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Todays Harvest Flowers: Fall Floral Needs Met Here As the season changes in the Midwest, live and silk flower arrangements here at Todays Harvest are changing with it. We have beautiful fall wreaths and other silk arrangements in the vibrant fall colors to help you transform your home or business to reflect autumn. In addition, we invite you to choose Todays Harvest Flowers for: Homecoming corsages and boutonierres Cemetery saddles and grave blankets Thanksgiving centerpieces Todays Harvest will now be open year round to serve the floral and seasonal needs of our surrounding communities. That means we'll soon be ordering and making holiday and Christmas greenery and arrangements as well as other decorations. Stop in soon and let's talk flowers!

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Fall produce abounds this year Sound familiar? Pumpkins, gourds, corn shocks, mums? Yep, fall season is here! If you've been by the store lately, you've seen how the colors of fall flowers and produce spill out and around the store and parking lot. Autumn officially begins on Tuesday, and we're ready! PUMPKINS Our Todays Harvest homegrown pumpkins are unique and vibrant. They come in an abundance of sizes, shapes and shades, so be sure to leave plenty of time to pick just the right one. We look forward to sharing one of our best crops of pumpkins with you this year. MUMS Come and pick out the mums to plant now in your flower beds. They'll add bright, vibrant color throughout the fall and for years to come when treated right. Be sure to plant in a hole as deep as the root ball and water well as the plant gets established. Pick out other potted mums or hanging flowers for spot color in your outdoor fall decor. VEGETABLES Fall still means fresh vegetables! Many have been patiently waiting in the ground or field waiting for their chance to grace your table. The ever-nutritious sweet potatoes are ready, as are many types of winter squash. We still have fresh beets and will have freshly-picked Todays Harvest sweet corn for about 2-3 more weeks. Click here for a Corn Maze coupon!

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RECIPES: Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Topping Sweet Potato Pie 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces 2 large eggs 1/3 cup plus another 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3 Tbsp maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream 1 pre-baked pie crust 3 Tbsp butter 1 cup of pecans, half of them lightly chopped, the other half whole 1. Make the pie crust. (See pie crust recipe for instructions on pre-baking a pie crust.) If you use a store-bought frozen crust, you do not need to pre-bake it, just defrost it 10 minutes and prick the bottom all over with a fork before using. 2 Make the sweet potato purée. In a large saucepan, cover the sweet potato pieces with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the sweet potato pieces are soft when poked with a knife or fork. Drain. Purée in a food processor until smooth. You may need to add back a little liquid (a tablespoon or two of water) to get a smooth consistency. Let cool completely before using. 3 Prepare the pie. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place rack at bottom of oven. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and maple syrup until smooth. Add the sweet potato purée, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 3/4 cup of cream. Mix until completely smooth. Pour into cooled crust. 4 Bake the pie. Bake on lowest rack for 50 minutes, until filling has set. You may want to tent the edges of the pie with aluminum foil or a pie crust protector to prevent the pie crust edges from burning. Cool on rack for one hour. Then transfer to refrigerator and chill completely. 5 Make the pecan topping. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp cream, and mix in. Add the pecans, mix to coat the pecans with the sugar mixture. Let cool for 1 minute. Pour mixture over cooled pie. Use a rubber spatula to spread topping over the top of the pie. Cool until topping has hardened, about 30 minutes.

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Promotion of the month: Harvest Package! Gather everything you'll need for perfect outdoor fall decorations at Todays Harvest, and save money while you do it! We're offering our "Harvest Package" for $30. It includes: Two 9" potted mums One bale of straw One corn shock One bundle of Indian corn One $1.50, one $3, and one $5 pumpkin Stop in and pick up your Harvest Package today!

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Q & A: Karen McWhinney, floral designer You might not ever get to see Karen McWhinney when you stop in at Todays Harvest. She's in the back, designing beautiful arrangements for TH Flowers and teaching us as she goes. Read on to learn more about our secret floral weapon. Q: How long have you been working with and arranging flowers? A: Well, since I was out of high school. So, 40-some years! Q: How did you become interested in doing this and learn how? A: I decided to go for floral training and went to a place in Richmond. There was a flower shop there that provided floral training after hours. Q: What do you enjoy working on the most? A: I like doing the general arrangements -- birthdays, anniversaries, that sort of thing. I prefer working with fresh flowers. Q: You've worked at many different flower shops over the years and done thousands of arrangements. What do you like about working for Todays Harvest? A: I really enjoy the people here. It's a very pleasant environment to work in. Thank you, Karen!

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Come visit us for your fresh produce, flowers or gift needs, and plan your corn maze visit, too. See you soon!

The Jordans