What’s in store for October

This article was originally published in October 2014

In the grocery aisles

Halloween treats

It’s hard to resist the goofier side of harvest season — and we have lots of entertaining goodies that celebrate spookiness while being genuinely delicious. Dig into Garden of Eatin’ Harvest Pumpkin Tortilla Chips for a snack that combines warm spices with a hint of salt — they’re delicious with vanilla ice cream. Or, pick up a bag of Surf Sweets Spooky Spiders (more cute than spooky) or Angie’s Spooky Candy Corn Flavored Kettle Corn, both of which are gluten-free and avoid high fructose corn syrup while offering Halloween fun.

Psst….

For adults prone to raiding their kids’ trick-or-treat bags, we’ve got a better idea: Theo Chocolate’s new peanut butter cups. Made with organic peanut butter from CB’s Nuts and Theo’s own organic, fair trade chocolate, the confection is available in milk and dark chocolate versions.

 

In the beer and wine department

Fresh hop ales

This style of beer is as seasonal as it gets, using just-harvested hops to impart their fresh flavor into crisp ales. The flavor varies depending on the type of hops used, but think bright, floral and citrus flavors. If you can imagine the difference between cooking with fresh rosemary versus dried, you’ll have a good handle on these beers in comparison to more typically bitter IPAs.

While we’ll have many through their short season, two special ones to look for are the Cowiche Canyon Fresh Hop (it uses organic hops and donates a portion of sales to the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy) and Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop IPA, which gets their hops into the brewing kettle within 24 hours of harvest.

 

In health & body care

Goodhew socks

As the weather cools off and you put away your flip flops for a few months, be good to your feet with a comfortable, well-fitting sock. These are made in American mills from soft, durable, U.S.-raised Merino wool and knitted with spandex throughout, so they don’t get baggy during the day. Flat toe seams with special cushioned edges, deep heel pockets and knitted arch supports keep you on your toes throughout the day. Our selection covers many lovely colors and patterns, and styles range from footies to knee-highs, with a sizable number of popular crew socks. Styles and patterns vary by location.

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