"Lookin' for some hot stuff, baby, this evenin' I need some…read morehot stuff, baby, tonight I want some hot stuff, baby, this evenin' Gotta have some hot stuff Gotta have some love tonight" (Donna Summer) A few months ago, we visited the fabulous Calo's Cookies in New Hartford and learned they'd soon be selling pickles and hot sauce and pickled vegetables. Well, today we visited the Canton Main Street Farmers Market and bought some pastries from Calo's, but guess who was set up right next to their booth? None other than Seger's Sauces. They share a space inside Calo's and they also share Thanksgiving dinner because Dan Seger of Seger's Sauces is the father of Dorie from Calo's Cookies. You can catch him at the Canton Farmer's Market every Sunday from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm from mid-June through mid-October. Father Dan sells homemade canned and bottled goods - a variety of pickles, plenty of hot sauces, spicy jellies & jams, salsas, and tomato sauces. Their spicy jellies and jams caught my eye, because I really like that sweet and spicy combination. I had to choose between their Cherry Jalapeno Jelly and Blueberry Basil Jam. I sampled the Cherry Jalapeno and that clinched it. I can't wait to have it with some peanut butter for a few breakfasts. So, if you want some excellent cookies, pickles, or spicy jellies, head on out to New Hartford or the Canton Main Street Farmers Market. PRO TIP The garlic dill and spicy pickles are "refrigerator pickles" that have to be refrigerated and aren't shelf stable.

I bought both cranberry-pepper and raspberry-pepper at the Garlic Festival this year. I loved them…read moreboth. We enjoyed the cran--pepper in San Diego for Thanksgiving. Hope to get more in the new year. Happy Holidays to all. Karen D.

We're jammin' I want to jam it with you…read moreWe're jammin', jammin' And I hope you like jammin' too (Bob Marley - Jamming) One of the nicest moments we had at the Goshen Stampede was our visit to the Simply Jam booth where we chatted with the host, tried some samples, and bought a jar of their "Hot" Jalapeno Jam. They operate their business out of a household in Barkhamstead, CT where they hand craft six varieties of jalapeno jams. The basic jalapeno jams comes in three heat levels - mild, hot, and extra hot. Or you can go the flavored route and add garlic, mint or cranberry to the jalapeno. An 8 ounce jar costs $7, and their website says the jams are available at a dozen stores clustered to the northwest of Hartford and along the CT-NY border down to the Bronx. They also have a website for mail orders. I love seeing successful small businesses that put out great products. Try one of their jars, and I bet you'll like jammin' too.

From flowers to soaps, vegetables to donuts, fruit to teas, knives to artisan creations, tie-dye…read moret-shirts to smoothies and chili dogs, the South Windsor Farmers Market has it all!! Set in the open Nevers Road Park, this market offers a variety local goods and a fun morning. When my friends and I walked over from nearby parking areas (which were plentiful and easy to get to), the smells of freshly cooked donuts from Faddy's Donut Shop and the sounds of a Grateful Dead tribute band met us. After grabbing some donuts, instead of sitting in the nice rest area set up near the band, we began down the line of stands. We found a little of everything we wanted and more!! We grabbed a couple slices of pie from Granny's Pie Factory, a brown butter dark chocolate chip cookie from LaBrioche Bakery, a couple of jars of homemade artisan teas from Whole Harmony, and a bouquet of freshly picked flowers from the Syme Family Farm. Shopping here can get a bit pricey, for example, a South Windsor Farmers Market tote bag was $5; however, you're supporting local businesses, many of which don't have storefronts. It's well worth chipping in a few extra bucks with the quality of the goods and the personal attention you receive at the stands. I would rather save my money and spend it here than at big chain stores that don't need it. Every vendor we went to, especially the individuals at the Syme Family Farm and the Whole Harmony stands, were extremely kind and helpful. The vendor of Whole Harmony allowed us to try a couple of teas he had out as well as the lavender lemonade (all of which were extremely delicious); he also told me how to properly steep the teas and gave me a loyalty card that offers a free jar after ten purchases. The vendors at the Syme Family Farm stand told me how they handpicked each flower, and wrapped up my bouquet--which was thoughtfully put together with care--and put it in a plastic baggie with wet paper towels around the stems to keep the flowers hydrated after I asked if they would be all right since we were not going directly home. I was very impressed by these two vendors' professionalism and kindness. The South Windsor Farmers Market is definitely a farmers market you need to check out!! It's open every Saturday in the morning (which is an extremely convenient and great time) from the middle of June until the middle of October. The organization running also has a list of what vendors will be there each week on a document on the website. You'll really enjoy every minute of being at this market, and you will undoubtedly find spectacular goods!!

Best, freshest vegetables, fruit, cheeses, meat and amazing artisanal local bread. Great fun for…read morekids as well with different activities every week. Highly recommended for the whole family

Food is great, service fast and friendly, pretty place to eat at. Indoor dining only.read more

Maria was set up today in the lobby of St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, and she packed a wide…read morevariety of goods into those few tables: breads, pies, jellies, pickles, relishes. What I really wanted was, well, everything, but I contented myself with Heineken beer bread, dill pickle chips, and merlot wine jelly that I picked up for a friend (I hadn't even known that wine jelly was a thing!). Um... wow. Before I knew it, I'd eaten a third of the beer bread, and I had to remind myself that the loaf was tiny and should be conserved. Soft, dense, rich, a hint of sweetness, a hint of beer. Delightful. The pickles, somehow, blew me away even more. They were the freshest tasting pickles I'd ever had, teeming with dill; although they were chips, I felt that it might be a crime to obstruct their taste by stuffing them inside a sandwich. No, these were meant to be enjoyed on their own. I'm creating this entry on Yelp because I genuinely feel that what Maria makes in her kitchen deserves all the attention it can get. I haven't yet heard back about the wine jelly, but seeing as how both of the items I bought were a solid 10/10, I think I can be confident in what I'll hear!

Driving by and had to make a pit stop. Vibrant happy…read moreannuals, perennials, herbs and vegetable plants at such an incredible price! Score!! Inside was such a lovely experience. So many homemade baked goods, pies, Italian stuffed breads, many different other dishes to choose. Hidden gem Family owned and operated Service was sweet

Had to check out Lewis Farms as I was coming across it on social Media a lot and it looked like a…read morecute place. It's small and they sell a little bit of everything. Prepared foods to go, sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, ice cream, baked goods and refrigerated items. They have a nice patio to sit and enjoy your ice cream. The other half of the store sells toys. The girls are pretty helpful if you have questions.

"When I get home tonight I'm gonna hold her tight…read moreI'm gonna love her till the cows come home" (Lennon and McCartney) Another reason why I love Yelp! When I saw my Yelp friends Ana and Kim both review this very cool place, well I kind of made my mind up that I'd check it out too. I mean, how can you resist going to a store that has no employees, and you pay for whatever you buy on the honor system, either electronically or putting your dinero into a cash box. The store is small, but jam packed with frozen foods, ice cream, fudge, honey, jarred goods, coffee, goat and cow soap products, clothes, jewelry, a full dairy case of milks, eggs, and cheese, and more. We ended up buying a frozen portion of ground veal at a great price- just $7 for close to a pound. The purchase came at the perfect time for us because we needed it for our Thanksgiving meatballs recipe. So go take a ride to the country and check out this unique place. You'll have a blast poking around and looking at the many cows next to the store. In fact the whole experience is a pretty cool one.

The Cow's Coop is an adorable, tiny farm store in Canton. Upon arriving on their property I first…read morenoticed some cows, there were around five cows laying down catching the sun and one was eating. There were also some hens. In the center of the property is the store. There's no one working here. The store is completely self assist. Now, don't think of trying anything funny, there are cameras watching you. This store is precious! Here you can find cheese, milk, ice cream, local meat and eggs. You'll also find their own branded, handcrafted soap, candles, and skin care. Their soaps are beautifully made and smell delightful, and make excellent pairings with their candles. How do you pay if no one is working here? Well, first it's good to be honest, and trustworthy. They're trusting you to be alone in their tiny store, with their carefully curated and handmade products. By the door, there is a notebook, in which you can write what you're purchasing. You can pay by inserting cash into a red box, or you can pay on Venmo. Their prices are a bit higher. I truly enjoyed browsing through this little store. There are so many tasty looking and smelling items. Please take the drive and check them out for yourself.

"You're my blue sky, you're my sunny day Lord, you know it…read moremakes me high When you turn your love my way" (Allman Brothers Band) When the Blue Back Farmer's Market opened in June, they didn't celebrate the occasion by cutting a ribbon. Oh no, that would have been too ordinary. Instead, they kicked off the market with a baguette slicing ceremony! They are brand new and are opened from June 19 to October 23, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You'll find them in the Town Hall parking lot. Vendors listed on the website include a Wellness booth, farm and bakery stands, Italian Ice, seafood, mushrooms, sustainable animal products, Vodka sauce (fantastic), cheese, salsa, coffee, I'm not sure I saw all of them there in the heat yesterday, so maybe there will be more as we move away from summer into the fall. We picked up two ears of corn from Halls Farm in Simsbury and had them last night with dinner, and yes, they were very good. Parking is free and super easy in the massive town hall parking lot.

West Hartford Farmers Market has so much variety. And the live music is always amazing!read more

With so many distilleries popping up all over the state, it's safe to say we're in the middle of a…read morespiritual renaissance. We first ran into Hickory Ledge's Moonshine line of products at the Berlin Fairgrounds Wine and Beer Festival, and after we both sipped their Apple Pie Moonshine, we kind of stared at each other in amazement. Man oh man was it great! We dropped in today to pick up some of that Apple Pie Moonshine as Christmas gifts. A 750 ml (25.4 ounce) jar cost $18. We chatted with Lynne, one of the owners, and she was a real delight. Hickory also produces Cranberry, Maple, and plain moonshines. Lynne asked us if we wanted a sample, and she happily poured us a nip of the Cranberry Moonshine. Our jars were packed into a nifty Hickory Ledge tote bag that included a recipe card with 14 Moonshine based cocktails. Hickory Ledge also has salsas and cider, so if you need to pick up some last minute Holiday gifts, go check them out.

Great, cozy place with friendly authentic people. Lynn the owner is great to have a chat with. She…read moreintroduced us to four different--delicious--flavors of moonshine whiskey. All are 40-80 proof, my favorite is the "Apple Pie" flavor. Excellent New England rustic atmosphere. Wood furnace to keep you warm in the winter and carvings and art by locals. They also sell excellent hard and sweet cider, apples and produce.