I LOVE the smell of sagebrush in the morning!

"You know that smell when you get to the bug station on your way home? I CRAVE that."~ Quincy McCort.

That's how you know he's a local. It's almost like Quincy gave me the secret handshake (we don't really have one... but if we did this would be it). Son of contractor Mike McCort, Quincy lived here as a kid and then spent all his summers in Litchfield with his dad. Now he's here full time, working at the City of Susanville and committed to making a difference. 
Then there is Heidi Whitlock. IDK how long she's been at the City now but I know she went there after working many years at Susanville Super. That means Heidi is IGA family. And we couldn't be prouder of her. During Heidi's years at the market we watched her; get married, become a great mom, twice, and graduate from college. 

Heidi and Quincy are quite the Yin and Yang, in their own words. Together this dynamic duo is working to make all our City dreams come true. Some of their goals are so lofty I won't put them here and they wouldn't want me to. Yet. But for now they are partnering with citizens that have a plan. For instance the skate park, citizens came to the City with a plan and since it was such a well thought out plan the City of Susanville got a grant to help it into action. Plus there's the lovely task force clean up going on (take a picture of yourself picking up trash and tag the City!), renovations at Riverside Park and what's this??? An 18 hole Disk Golf Course at Skyline Park! Too cool. Let's take back our parks, our streets, OUR CITY. Whoo. I better settle down. 
How can you help? Volunteer, for clean up or whatever. Share your ideas. Join the City of Susanville Administration facebook page to keep up on all that's happening. After all, a town is just a bunch of building and streets. We have a COMMUNITY. And a very good one at that. The more we help, the more we can get done. 


Thanks Heidi and Quincy for doing all you can to promote that Hometown Proud!

If you can't fly with the eagles, run with the wieners!

You had me at ‘hundred of miles of ATV trails’. But what’s this? Also pull through RV spots with full hook ups so my doggies can hang out in air conditioned comfort while we explore. All this overlooking beautiful Eagle Lake. Yes please!

Eagle Lake Resort is right on the edge of more of our public lands than you could shake a stick at. All open to ATV, UTV, truck, bike, horse or just use your feet, this place is beautiful. Surrounded by healthy forest, cared for by BLM, we saw miles of reforestation rolling through the valleys. The RV park at Stones Landing was well kept and the hosts super friendly. At check in we found out almost everyone (all 5 or 6 of us :) was from Janesville AND that the wiener dog races would be held right there in the morning! This is the 4th year the resort has put on the event as a fundraiser. All prizes, auction items and food donated by our community and served by volunteers. This year they raised over $3000, all proceeds went to Susanville PD’s K-9 unit for training and veterinary care. Excellent cause. I ran into so many friends and had a chance to visit. Local events are the absolute best!  Theresa Phillips brought her buddy Pete the Wonder Dog ready to race. Pete is 12, has an adorable toothless grin and has been stomped by a deer. Twice. Thus the Wonder Dog. Pete Took second in 2 of his heats then he finished with 7th place overall. Way to go! So much community goodness wrapped up in a super fun package. 
On our run up the mountain, with the help of an app called Scenic Maps, we found Dow Butte lookout. All that remains at the site is the foundation, the actual lookout is on display at Eagle Lake Marina, right beside the store. The views up there were astonishing. All in all it was like a full, jam packed, weekend in one night and good thing because we had a trade show to attend Sunday. Don’t let anyone tell you there’s nothing to do here!
Huge Hometown thanks to Eagle Lake Resort and RV Park, all the volunteers and donors for putting on the Wiener Dog Race to benefit such a great cause!
Congrats to all the racers and their coaches!

Let's channel our inner DISNEY!

Walt Disney measured distance in hot dogs. All trash cans at Disney World were planted 25 steps away from hot dog stands. This is precisely how long it took him to eat one. I can't even imagine the amount of trash generated at Disney World or Land. Yet the place is darn near spotless. How can this be?

Recently California Grocers Association put together a Store Leaders seminar focused on Service Excellence. The speaker, Dennis Snow, had a 20 year career with Disney World. What a dynamo. Accompanied by eight Susanville Super employees, we learned many things that day. Mostly I learned how enthusiastic and willing to learn my team was. Totally unified too! Meat, Deli, Grocery, Bakery, Produce! All there and all exchanging ideas. Sometimes you gotta take the Hometown Proud on the road to really see what's happening. 
Anyway, one of the topics was trash. Trash is everyone's job. At Disney even the Princesses pick up trash. Walt himself would do it. That's how you truly set an example. City of Susanville is currently setting a fine example. Thanks to a couple of grants, Cal Recycle and Tobacco Reduction, they've put together a task force (of 2 or so) to clean up the Ville! Rick and I began seeing young people out picking up trash on our morning walks. This got me thinking. What if we all pick up just one piece every time we're out? What kind of crazy clean up could WE get done? What kind of Disney-esque example could WE set? Let's do it! 
                                      Susanville is such a beautiful place to walk in the morning. Friendly faces, wildlife, fresh air, I love it. I picked up a lid on the Bizz today, one piece down :) 

This program really needs volunteers. J & J's Kickettes were spotted wearing the Cal Recycle tees and pulling a shift. If you or your organization would like to help, call 252-5110.
Thank you City of Susanville for showing your Hometown Proud!!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

A funny thing happened with two new hires. Hope hired Jeanette Brunner to help out in her Deli. Btw, I have to say here, Jeanette is a great cook and fantastic mom. Meanwhile. Todd hired Vinnie Stalter in Grocery. Jeanette was here several days when to her surprise SON Vinnie clocked in for his first day. Neither Mom nor son knew the other worked here. As if that's not enough, they live in the same house! We're glad to have them both. AND a pretty good story. 

Anyway, one day Jeanette brought this INCREDIBLE dip to work and shared with everyone. IT. IS. DELISH. Warning ~ this is definitely for a cheat day :)

Jalapeno Poppers Dip
½lb  bacon, chopped
5 fresh jalapeño, diced
5 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs ground pepper
2 tbs granulated garlic
1 tbs granulated onion
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
2-8oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°

Fry bacon, adding the jalapeno and garlic at the end and letting simmer for a few minutes. With a spoon, remove from the pan along with a little bacon grease, set aside. Combine the dry ingredients as well as cheddar cheese then add the bacon mixture, mix well. In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream and cream cheese. Add ½ to ¾ of the bread crumbs to the cream cheese and mix thoroughly, scrape into a small casserole dish or pie pan, top with remaining bread crumbs.

Bake for approx 20 min.

Serve hot with IGA's fresh deli made tortilla chips!

If you have a Hometown Happening coming up THIS is the dip for you!

Thanks for all you do Jeanette~

My Super Family~

I can't imagine being here without Debbie Oschner. Debbie O, as we've always called her, joined the team just one week after Rick and I took over Susanville Super back in 1993. Deb was working at the store, managing Burger King and selling Avon while raising 3 kids, son Steve, daughters Carrie and Becky, this is one amazingly hard working woman. Those kids are all grown now and Deb is a grandmother of 6 and soon to be a GREAT grandma! How time flies. Not just any grandma either, Deb will tell you her family is her world. Debbie O and husband of 45 years, Jim, are just good people I always enjoy visiting with. 

Debbie O's career at the store began in the Deli. Hired on the recommendation of, then Deli Manager Joyce Reinertson. When Joyce retired Deb moved into the Manager position. She served there for 6 years before moving to our Grocery Department where, for about 20 years, she's been one of our Head Checkers. A face everyone recognizes. 3 years ago retirement beckoned, happy for Deb we sent her off...not my favorite part of the job. She lasted a month! Now you can find Debbie O in the check stand a couple of days a week. Tickled to death to be back. Deb says she loves visiting with customers and serving her community. It shows! 

Thanks so much for all you do Debbie O!

Your Super Friendly, Super Fresh and now, Super FAST Super Market!

What if you could order your groceries online and then just pick them up? Wouldn't that make those CrAzY days just a little easier? That's the plan.  We have been beta testing a program called Rosie. She's my new best friend. 

You know how much I love camping, right? Imagine standing in your camper, van, RV or just in the midst of all your camp gear and tapping out your list. Our dedicated order person Justin, shops pulling together the best of the best. That's right, you want a tomato? Justin makes sure you get a tomato you yourself would choose. All while you're packing all the other camp essentials. Pull up, pick up and you're off! We call it Susanville SuPeR Fast! I just tried it and it is maybe the coolest thing ever. Even though I am in the store most days this makes my life easier. While traveling for work I wrote my camping list on Wednesday to pick up on Friday. I even got a sweet note from Marie written on my half cantaloupe :) Who says you can't still get that personal service with a click and collect? With my peeps you can!  

                  

We have no intention of turning Patti (or any of our IGA family) into a Maytag repairman. PLEASE be sure and stop by as much as possible BUT were hoping this will make your hectic days a whole lot simpler. And fresher. Full Produce, Meat, Grocery, Deli and Bakery departments all at your fingertips. 

                                   

Miss Rosie will be coming to y'all soon and I'm sure she's gonna be your best friend too! 

Signed, 

Your Super Fresh, Super Friendly, and now, Super Fast Super Market ❤️

LMUD Scholarship WiNNeR

LMUD has a scholarship program. How cool, right? Public Relations Officer Theresa Phillips was so enthusiastic about one of the winning essays reflecting on things we all love about our community she shared it with me.  This young person gets it~
                   

Congratulations Emma Newton! Thank you for sharing your Hometown Proud!

AND here is Emma's incredibly impressive autobiography, I hope you'll take a moment to read it, this young woman is extremely deserving!
                                         
                

Camp Food Contest! *post in the Green Grocerette blog to win ~

Camping. I have fallen in love with it for the second time in my life. When I was a kid my mom was unstoppable in the summer. The trailer would be loaded and heading up Hwy 32 from Chico EVERY weekend. We'd take empty, cleaned milk gallons and fill them with spring water half way up, all our groceries were purchased in the only market Chester had (what was that store called?). Mom stopped. For everything. Roadside views, water, swimming, chips, you name it. She was the queen of the road trip. Pulling that little Shasta trailer behind a big ole station wagon on what was then a WAY skinnier version of highway 32. When we got to camp, out would come the dutch oven which she'd load with potatoes, roast, veggies, seasoning, stock. Then a hole would be dug and filled with charcoal. When the coals reached the right temp she would put the dutch oven in and bury it. Later when it was dug up dinner was ready and it was amazing. Wish I would have got that recipe...
             
Recently Rick and I have become likewise obsessed with camping and even did a 9 day road trip/camp to Durango and back, burning up our National Park Pass along the way. He's the KING of the road trip. Stopping for everything, trying new roads, listening to books on Audible, taking pictures... THE. BEST. On our  previous first few overnights or weekends we ate all manner of things we never have in our house. We fell off the healthy eating wagon. Hard. This is not sustainable, at least not in my current clothing. So, on the long trip we decided to try eating more like we do every day at home. Meals of veggies and lean protein. Fruit, nuts, a piece of hard candy or low-fat popcorn for snacks. Since space is limited many food items stretched for several meals. One meal would be Hebrew National Hot dogs, then extra buns would be used for tuna sandwiches which Rick renamed 'Poor man's lobster roll'. Cherry tomatoes were used for Boboli pizza margherita, sandwiches, salads and even as a snack dipped in hummus. Lots of salads with whatever was left over, salami, cheeses, apples, watermelon. One container each of Organic Girl Spinach and Arugula filled a ziplock with a paper towel tucked in to keep moisture down, you can fit this anywhere in the ice chest or my vans mini fridge. All our cooking was simple but our food  fresh and delicious and you just can't beat the views along the way.
                                                  
                                  
After we returned from our trip one of our favorite customers (and mom to the adorable Derek and Hudson), Shannon Cook, was headed out camping and told me "You should start a blog about what to cook camping. I don't have any imagination when it comes to camping food, I'm hoping I can take enough corn dogs to get us through. It's even tougher with littles." This is a great idea! But. My imagination may need a boost too. I know we have a lot of camp cooks in our midst, how about if YOU all share your favorite camping recipes in the comment section of my blog?!? I'll even offer a Grand Prize! The chosen recipe will win a Stacker Ice Chest filled with all kinds of goodies for camp! I cannot wait to try all your yummy camp food. And just in case anyone knows how to do the roast like my Mom always did...You'd be my new best friend.

Hometown Healthy~

Rustic Rancher

When one door closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
—Helen Keller

Isn't that the truth. But for local Rustic Rancher, Seth Anderson the door wasn't clearly marked. Seth joined the Army right out of Lassen High. Married his high school sweetheart, Lindsey Baston, and was off. He served 10 years in the infantry with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. During those years of service he completed his Associate Degree in Fire Science and became a Platoon Sergeant. After 10 years of service his body had taken a beating, so his backup plan of jumping out of planes into fires wasn't going to be a thing. Seth's knee needed a surgery that was the last possible step before a knee replacement. So what now.
                             
Well some people just keep going forward no matter what. A friend told Seth he should become a farmer. At first this seemed a strange idea, then he started researching and it was "so cool", Seth then enrolled in Cal Poly's program for Veterans studying in their Sustainable Agricultural Training Program. He wrote a business plan and fell in love with learning how food gets to consumers.
                                 
There has been a learning curve for sure. Just figuring out what to grow, what WILL grow in Lassen County on a continuous basis. At first the Anderson family was on the desert side of 395. Problematic in the summer if you wanna grow greens, it's hotter than stink and we have like -2000% humidity (slight exaggeration. Maybe). But now they're in the trees and have made quite a reputation with micro greens. Selling out every weekend at the Farmer's Market! It's genius. Microgreens are packed with flavor and Seth has so many varieties, radish, beet, kale, sunflower, oh my! And they are ready to harvest in 10-21 days. By the time you read this we'll have Rustic Rancher items available in our Produce Department. Very exciting!

Seth on Seth~

"Improving the roles I have been granted, are my interests; my interests, are my goals.
They are summed up below:
I am a father. I am a husband. I am a God fearing Infantryman, turned Market Gardner. I am a leader, driven by his failures, who realizes that only through our actions can we be the change we wish to instill on generations."
                                 
Make no mistake though, to the littlest member of the family, this is a whole family endeavor. The Anderson family gets what an amazing place we live in. They're deeply involved in our community and have a love for the outdoors in their 'spare time' :)
                      
We are so Hometown Proud to welcome Rustic Rancher Produce to our store! Thanks for all you do for our community Seth and family!

Independence Day

"There exists one post that is unique – Master Chief Petty officer of the Navy (MCPON). The holder of this post is the most senior enlisted member in the U.S. Navy. As of August 2018, Russell L. Smith is the current MCPON."~ Wikipedia

...And get this, Russell Smith, the Master Chief of the ENTIRE U.S. Navy graduated from Lassen High School in 1988. Local resident Mark Solomon told Rick this at a recent gathering inside the Elks Lodge. Mark calls Master Chief Smith a 'good  solid friend' and says he's been one for many years. Mark is also a veteran, he joined the U.S. Army during Vietnam. On patriotic holidays like 4th of July they text each other a thank you for the service to our country. Mark believes that every job is an opportunity and in 31 years of service the MCPON has risen to every challenge. Here are a few of his accomplishments according to Navy.Mil "a myriad of sea duty assignments, including USS Enterprise, SEAL Team FOUR, USS Carl Vinson, two tours onboard USS Abraham Lincoln, and most recently as command master chief onboard USS Momsen."
                 In our conversation Mark stated " While there is only one Master Chief Russell Smith, there are many heroes in this town that won't even tell you what they did". In light of that I'd like to shout out a couple Navy guys we have in our store. Vincent (Vinnie) Stalter  is currently in the Naval Reserve while working full time here. The love of my life, Rick Stewart, served 6 years as a submarine sailor aboard the U.S.S. Robert E Lee. Then today I found out our newest local vendor Seth Anderson served for 10 years in the Infantry (and has a child born on the 4th of July). I know there are many, many more. Please be sure and thank a veteran for this independence we hold so dear. 
     
                          Speaking of Independence Day. Did you know...there were 2 signers of the Declaration of Independence that went on to become President of the United States? Probably. BUT here's a bigger one I didn't know...Both of those men, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died on the exact same day, July 4 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing. 
                        
Thank you to all our Veterans, today we honor you, our Hometown Heroes!

Happy Independence Day! 

Photo credits: 
Declaration of Independence, History.com 
Seth Anderson and family, Rustic Rancher website
Mark Solomon and Elks, Jim Chapman 
Rick Stewart, Anna Stewart 
Vincent Stalter and family, Vinnie