Can you believe school is about to start? Registration. School shopping. Wow! And my boys so are excited to see all of their friends.

It sure puts me in the mood for fall, yet we’re still enjoying end-of-summer camping, fishing and boating. I’m so conflicted! I love the beautiful scenery of fall and all of the sights sounds and events, but I’m definitely not ready to give up summer all together – not quite yet.

With football season practically here, we’re preparing to bake some great football-friendly items here at your Market Bakery. Beginning in September, we’ll offer a variety of bakery trays made especially for your weekend tailgate parties. These popular party trays are ready to go and loaded with all of your favorites. For those rise-and-shine games, our trays come with Danish, Donut Holes, Strudel Bites and Mini Muffins. For those afternoon and evening games, we offer an assortment of Market Bakery Cookies, Brownies and Shortbread. Simply pick one up on the way to the game.

For back to school, we have just what you need when you feel like taking a baking break. Ask your Market Baker about our Classroom Special: 35 cupcakes for $19.99. These cupcakes come in your choice of white or chocolate, topped with our butter-cream icing, picks and sprinkles. These super cute picks can double as a favor for the kids. An economical way to celebrate back-to-school birthdays and school events, we hope you enjoy eating them as much as we enjoyed creating them.

Keep your eyes pealed for more fun food ideas throughout the store come fall. After I finish registering my kids for school today, I’m going camping!

See you next time!

I have really been enjoying Oregon this summer. After-work hikes are the best! Yesterday, before I headed out for my hike, I grabbed a Market Smoothie – strawberry and banana with soy milk. Yum!

If you haven’t had one, see your Market Barista. You can choose your choice of liquid – fresh-squeezed orange juice from our produce department, local Umpqua milk or Pacific Soy, which I prefer.

It’s a great way to cool down in a hot car on the ride home, or on the way to the trailhead. There are so many great hiking trails here in Oregon! Going for a hike is a great way to wind down, refocus, reconnect and enjoy a beautiful evening in the hills.

A perfect start to an all-day excursion, our Power Muffins are made for the trail. For an early morning hike, also try our Breakfast Bars, which are made from scratch in your Market Bakery. Packed full of dried fruit and grains, they provide all the energy you need.

For those hurried mornings, grab a Stumptown Latte and a Spelt Scone. These tasty and good-for-you scones are made from spelt/triticale, an ancient grain that has higher protein levels to fill you up – we also add sweet, plump raisins for added energy. They’re available with or without a light glaze.

We offer a variety of delicious, energy-packed baked goods for on-the-go customers. Stop by and say, “hello” to your favorite Barista. And be sure to inquire about the special of the day.

See you on the trail!

For those of you who’ve tried and enjoyed our pies in the past and for those of you who have resisted until now, you should stop in and see some of the fun flavor combinations we’ve introduced this summer: Pina Colada, German Chocolate, Black Forest, Crème Brule, Banana Split – yes, that’s right, I said Banana Split!

The Banana Split pie has yummy banana custard with layers of strawberry and pineapple inside a chocolate-coated crust. It’s topped with fresh whipped cream, chocolate ganache and peanuts, and then finished with long-stem maraschino cherries. Grab a spoon and dig in!

The Pina Colada has pineapple and coconut in a creamy custard topped with fresh whipped cream. We finish this one with candied tropical fruit and a rosette border. Cool and refreshing, this pie will take transport you to the tropics.

If you’d rather skip the fruit, try the Crème Brule – it’s to die for! Vanilla custard topped with a thin caramel topping and toasted almonds for crunch. So Simple. So Delicious.

Wait until you see some of the chocolate pies. The German Chocolate is filled with coconut and chocolate chips piled into a dark chocolate ganache-lined shell. We top this one with the fresh whipped cream, chocolate chips and toasted coconut.

The Black Forest starts with a chocolate-lined crust and a layer of tart cherry filling that’s covered with dark chocolate custard and topped with fresh whipped cream. We finish it off with a garnish of Maraschino cherries and sliced almonds. Wow!

I could go on and on. These fun and tasty showstoppers are a great way to treat family and friends at your next get-together. Pop in and see what’s waiting for you this week!

Do the recent rains, lightening and booming thunder leave you feeling melancholy?

Well, here’s a little something to boost your spirits – a delicious Fruit Smoothie from your Market Barista! Large beautiful chunks of Willamette Valley fruit are blended with your choice of Umpqua milk in 2%, skim (whole organic available), orange juice or Pacific Soy. Then add a vitamin boost; choose vitamin B for energy, whey powder for protein, or vitamin C. Our Ashland store even offers wheat grass shots in their smoothies! These simple, all-fruit smoothies with nothing extra added, offer a great preview of sunny summer skies. They make great low-cal pick-me-ups!

I love taking my two teenage boys to the Market of Choice near our house on Saturday mornings to get them treats. I get the boys smoothies and a Danish or Scone and park them in the seating area while I get my shopping done.

I have enjoyed shopping at this location for 17 years now, and it’s great to see all of my friends there. There are so many fun products in all of the departments that you can’t find anywhere else. My favorite, though, is stopping at the Bakery and grabbing a Stumptown latte. They roast their beans just right and do such a great job that I’ve quit putting syrup flavor in my drink! I also admit that I’m addicted to the hand-folded Angel Food Cake, which is oh-so good topped with fresh berries and cream.

Do you love a slice of refreshing cream pie on a hot summer evening as much as I do? The custard in our cream pies is so yummy! Our pies are trans-fat free, but you wouldn’t know it by the taste. We have chocolate, coconut, banana and for a limited time vanilla custard with fresh strawberries on top! And don’t forget the key lime pie with Nellie & Joe’s Real Key Lime Juice. We put a border of fresh whipped cream on top of every pie.

I could go on and on but I gotta run! I have a few things to pick up at my Market on my way home.

See you soon!