Swim Team!

Years ago I was riding my mountain bike in Susanville Ranch on the way to Desmond Meadows wondering if this would be the day I would make it through the infamous rock garden. The rock garden is like a dry stream bed of large rocks with a vague trail you could pick your way through, and over, the rocks. I had never made it the whole way. What’s this? Here comes a woman with a Burley baby carrier attached to the back of her bike, she had just come from the rock garden WITH A BABY! That is Camille Buehler. I had heard about her from her husband, Sean, a Champion Mountain biker, but never met before.


Camille is an all around athlete but her real love is swimming, since she was 8 or 9. On her way to earning her Masters in Civil Engineering she coached and was a USC Division 1 College swimmer. Career wise she served 2 years as the Assistant Engineer for City of Susanville then started her own engineering firm which she’s had for 15 years, that firm even helped design the Skyline road. Did I mention she did all this while raising 3 beautiful children. Since we didn’t have a community pool Camille gave LoCaL kids swimming lessons in her backyard pool for 4 years, the last year she had 40 kids! Can you even imagine how excited she is that we have a pool? So excited in fact she wants to start a Swim Team. Go Camille, I wouldn’t expect anything less. 

We are so HOMETOWN PROUD to have people like Camille, always making our community a better place to live!


The Community Pool schedule and lots of other useful info can be found at www.cityofsusanville.net


*Green Grocerette life hack comes from my daughter Cyndi~ If you need to store cut avocado store keep the pit, it’ll keep it from turning.

Hope's Kitchen

Some days I’m working with my head down not paying attention to my surroundings then I hear this incredibly joyous and SUPER mischievous laugh. I can’t help but smile. Hope is here. Hope the Deli SUPERvisor that is. Making people happy with her food, her humor and her caring.  

Let me tell you a little about our ray of Hope. She returned to Susanville after being away for more than a decade. Cooking is her ‘happy place, her relaxing me time”. She met her “mountain man” Jeff right here when she was working in our Bakery. As a kid she had tough circumstances and always wanted to make people like her enough to share all that like with her brother and sister. When her 11 year old son was battling Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma she shaved her head twice so he wouldn’t be bald alone, she assures me that she has a nice dome. He has been cancer free for 14 years now. Thinking of others shows in her work too. When the Deli is really busy, especially if we’re all working on a fire order, Hope will make sure everyone is hydrating, resting and getting a snack. Deli is a fast paced job and that’s just one of her favorite things about it. Her other fave is she says she gets paid to visit and make sure her customers are happy.

To Hope these ARE her golden years and Susanville SUPERmarket is an extension of her family. She’s irreverent, funny, kind, so caring and a fantastic cook! 

So when you hear that laughter, smell that DELIcious food, you know you're in Hope’s Kitchen. 

                                         

*Green Grocerette tip of the week~ Store unused avocado with the pit and it will keep longer. Thank go to my daughter Cyndi for this tip.*

Foil Wrap FrEsH Dinner~

So there I was. Totally had my …uh...stuff together. The plan was to make an easy foil wrapped dinner on the grill, document it for a page 4 article, my house would stay cool PLUS no pots and pans to wash. I could do the prep then just sit back and relax until it was time to grill. Yeah, sure. As soon as I got home from work I washed all my ingredients, began slicing, seasoning and foil wrapping. I was SO impressed with myself. All the foil packets went in the fridge, I sat down to watch a bit of a movie (I LOVE movies). At 5 pm I went out to light the grill for a 5 minute pre heat. I took my first grill items, corn and potatoes out. Wait. What’s this? Once again I have forgotten to check the fuel. AHHHHHH! All he…heck breaks loose. Yes this is much more like my style of cooking. Fortunately my SUPERhero husband knows me too well and always has a spare tank. Oh and did I mention when I went out to get the rescue tank a frog was in my shoe IN THE HOUSE, said frog had to be caught and relocated.  
         


Anyway. Dinner was a little late but delicious.
*Side note~ I use a Weber Gas Grill I bought at Ace Hardware years ago. Wonderful Grill. Those SUPER cute salt/pepper shakers are from Every Blooming Thing. It took me forever to find the perfect set. The holes are large enough for McCormick Coarse Ground Pepper and the salt lets out plenty in two shakes. Reynolds Wrappers are the perfect size for the packets. 
Spray or lightly oil inside of foil to keep food from sticking~
2 or 3 sliced Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced red onion, salt/pepper, sprinkled with Tillamook Shredded Cheddar. Wrap.
2 cobs White Corn, butter, salt/pepper. Wrap.
3 slice Zucchini, diced tomato, chopped garlic, salt/pepper, drizzle with California Olive Ranch Olive Oil. Wrap.
1/2 lb shrimp topped with salt/pepper, a few dabs of butter, chopped garlic. Wrap.
Light grill. Note to self, CHECK FUEL. After a 5-10 minute pre-heat turn off one jet, set remaining to medium-medium high depending on how hot your grill runs.
Grill Potato, Zucchini and Corn packets over indirect heat for 20 minutes. Turn Corn every 5 minutes.
Grill Shrimp packet directly over fire for 10 minutes.
Open packets and enjoy!
                                  


*Green Grocerette tip for the week~ Keep a spare fuel tank on hand…or marry well :)

New Look, same SuPeRmarket!

If you’re making an omelette, you gotta break some eggs. If you’re making your business better, you gotta use blue rooms. Evidently. We're remodeling the store again and we couldn't be more excited! Please bear* with us while we undergo these major improvements. We promise it will be worth it! Thanks to everyone for being so patient.
*A quick side note. I had to check if I was using that word properly. Is it "bear" or "bare?" A quick search on google gave me the answer. “Bare with us" would be "an invitation to undress." Yeah. Not that one. Ha! Anyway…

Here Are Just a Few Fabulous New Improvements That You'll Enjoy Soon…
Expanded Deli • Expanded Bakery • New bathrooms (not like the ones currently outside)
Lots of Retail Expansions and Brand New Kitchens in Both the Deli & Bakery Departments (Oh yeah! With a dishwasher even!) • Plus much, much more! • Oh and the front…Oh my gosh! I can’t believe how beautiful it will all look when it's finished.

Let’s face it. The old girl needed a facelift. After all, the market will be fifty years old next year! Can you believe that? The photo above is the Architect's rendering of how it will look. Gorgeous. Even more gorgeous when they add the store's sign. Finally, our outsides will match our insides because our customers and staff make Susanville Super such a beautiful place to be.

Thank you all for your support, continued patience and patronage. A heartfelt, "thank you" also goes to the incredible staff at Susanville Super for all of their hard work and enthusiasm while we go through this process. Susanville, you always make us Hometown Proud! - Anna Stewart

Psst, don't tell anyone I posted this but here's a sneak peek at the preliminary design for our sign~

                

* Green Grocerette tip for the week "Use a dry erase pen on your plastic / glass storage containers to label and date."

Mr Wizard

Mr Wizard we like to call him. Well. Maybe it’s just me. No matter Martin Balding IS a wiz when it comes to keeping Susanville SuPeR green and he’s been doing it for about 17 years now. For instance, we don’t use air conditioning. Can you believe that? We use our refrigeration to cool the store. On the coolers that have doors, more shopping equals more cooling just when we need it since the entrance/exits are opening more. Genius. Since we use more of our energy to cool our cases it keeps the food fresher. What?! Less spoilage?! We use our compressors to heat our water. Changing to LED lighting was a 30% reduction in the whole store with the exemption of the LED motion lights in the freezers and refrigerators…those are a 90% reduction. Martin painted the roof white to reflect heat. AND so much more. Martin believes there isn’t another store in the state that uses less electricity.
                                    
Martin has a Masters in Industrial Arts and started his career teaching. He began noticing the school he worked for had things running all the time, he took a couple of energy classes and earned an Energy Auditor Certificate. Martin went to the principal and asked if he could have 10 students to run energy audits at the school. The savings to that school ended up being significant and soon he was applying for grants and auditing 5 high schools. He did things they said couldn’t be done, like using the exhaust from a cogeneration system to heat the pool.
                        
When Martin came here we had a 3 year contract, it ended 14 years ago. Mr Wizard is part of our Susanville Super Family and we’re so very lucky to have him. Always full of new, innovative ideas, he even helps me by sending ideas for the Community Corner! Martin told me this is family, it isn’t just about the work, we have camaraderie. I agree!
                   
Martin is married to the most lovely Janet. They have 3 ‘kids', 5 grand children, 3 great-grandchildren and will celebrate 60 years of marriage this September.

Thank you for keeping us Susanville SuPeR Green Martin!
                                           
*Green Grocerette tip of the week~ Martin cooks his Sweet Potatoes/Yams in the pressure cooker. Thanks for the tip Martin.

The Little Power Plant That Could... and does!

Just imagine if you could take old pallets, wood chips that would otherwise be forest fire fuel and other wood waste and turn it into POWER. That’s just what Greenleaf Power’s Honey Lake Power Plant as been doing since 1989. I recently got to tour HLP thanks to Public Relations Manager at LMUD Theresa Phillips and Plant Manager Ralph Sanders. Ralph has been Plant Manager since before HLP was even completed, he did retire for 5 years in 2012 but he’s back. I asked our own Mr Wizard, Martin Balding owner of Balding Energy Enterprise, if he would like to go with me. This place is seriously cool. Really cool, even when you’re standing by the furnace. The air smells wonderful like a forest, no belching smoke here. What you see coming from the chimneys is steam, so much steam I asked if it was starting to rain. A small footprint that creates power, enough power to run all of LMUD. Incredible. To me it will always be the little power plant that could. All that wood waste is reduced by 98% by the time it is turned to ash. Wow 

When a truck arrives it backs onto the lift and after the driver has safely exited the truck is lifted to a 62* angle to unload. I asked Ralph why they do it this way, other than it is quite a sight to see, he told me it takes 8 minutes to unload this way. Theresa pointed out she can’t unload her groceries in 8 minutes. Truly, I don’t know how this plant could be more efficient and kind to our Honey Lake Valley. Oh wait, did I mention they use the existing geothermal to preheat? Yeah, that too. What an operation. It was one of the best field trips I’ve ever taken. Every year Johnstonville School gets to tour and HLP sometimes opens to the general public for a day in the fall, if they do this year I’ll let you know.

Thanks LMUD and HLP for working together to keep us ENERGIZED!

    

*Green Grocerette tip of the week~ Keep cutting boards beautiful by rubbing with a little olive oil after washing.*

Stan Bales

One of my very favorite things when I lived in town was the trail system in Susanville Ranch Park. Rick and I spent many lunch hours out on our mountain bikes on what we, and a bunch of LoCaL riders referred to as recess! Some would even head out for night rides. It was A BIG FAT BLAST! I don't ride as much as I used to and since I live outside of town now it's easier to get on my road bike when I do. BUT. I think that may all change soon.                                                 

      

     

BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Stan Bales likes nothing better than to create and share all the great outdoor opportunities right out our backdoor, he’s been doing it for what seems like forever. As a matter of fact I once heard that when Isaac Roop arrived here he was standing on the high ground overlooking the site where the depot now sits. Roop looked over to his right hand man and said “Stan, this would be a great place for a railroad depot.” Okay. Maybe not THAT long, but still. Anyway, for awhile now he’s been telling me about the new trails on Bald Mountain. I had no idea how developed this trail system was AND it’s only going to grow. The plan is to have 6 different loops so you can ride, walk, run, as many or few as you like.

The trails are accessed off Byers Pass Rd. Currently equestrians, mountain bikers, runners and walkers are out there enjoying 360* views of the Honey Lake Valley! Bring your pooch! How lucky are we to live in such a gorgeous, outdoorsy place?


Thank you Stan Bales for all you do!

*Green Grocerette tip of the week~ clothespins make great bag clips for a fraction of the price!*

Your Daily Donut Schedule

In addition to making The Best Donuts on the Planet every single day our Bakery also has a special creation for each day of the week. I had a request from our own Miss Patti-Cake to post the schedule so no one will ever miss their favorite! Great idea Patti.

• Sunday~ Cherry Cake Donut and Cherry Fritter
• Monday~ Devil's Food Cake Donut
• Tuesday~ Cherry Cake Donut and Cherry Fritter
• Wednesday~ Devil's Food Cake Donut
• Thursday~ Blueberry Cake Donut and Blueberry Fritter
• Friday~ Applesauce Cake Donut
• Saturday~ Devil's Food Cake Donut

Always made fresh daily!

                                     

My personal favorite is a Cake Donut with Chocolate on Top and SpRiNkleS! Never trust anyone that doesn't like sprinkles. Or glitter. 

You're gonna want something to wash all that goodness down too.

Independence from the Kitchen

*Green Grocerette Tip of the Week~ Keep a Sharpie in the kitchen to date packages when you open them. A little trick I learned in the Deli*


Here’s my 4th of July story: One year we went to the Chester Parade with the family. Our youngest Granddaughter was riding on Papa’s shoulders, when she got down she hunched over and started to squeal like she was in pain! We were all on the ground looking to see if she was stung by a bee or….whatever, COMpletely freaked out. She bent over grabbed her legs and yelled “I CAN’T FEEL MYSELF!’ That’s right, her legs fell asleep. Hysterical. Anyway, if you’ve ever been to the parade you know that everybody wants to be up here for the 4th of July! Who can blame them? Lakes within minutes in all directions, cool mountain temps and so much outdoor fun. Kayaking, hiking, fishing, swimming, National Parks, all right here.
                                       

When you’re all done with your adventures here’s a super simple meal to top off the day~
1 Susanville SuPeR Meat Department BBQ Tri-Tip
Directions, slice and serve :)
                         

I like to serve it with a Red, White and Blue Salad.
All ingredients in the quantity that works for you.
Spinach
Strawberries, sliced
Blueberries
Onion, diced
Blue Cheese
Pine Nuts
Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette
Directions, toss and serve :)
                         

I use the tri-tip leftovers the next day to make sandwiches with blue cheese, tomatoes, onion and arugula.

                               

Have a SuPeR happy and safe 4th of July from all your friends at Susanville SuPeR!

Soap Box Derby

In community, as in life, it’s what you make it. These LoCaLs get that and are always working hard to make our sense of community stronger, more fun and just all around better. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Patti Hagata, Past Directors Kristen Volberg, Sue Eide, Theresa Phillips, Board Members Susan Edwards (founder Main Cruise), Kerri Cobb and Kirby Lively are celebrating 25 years of Main Cruise June 23rd and 24th with a Street Dance! Slow Drags! Free midnight showing of American Graffiti! Poker Run! Car Show and Shine in Memorial Park- (Take back our Park!) And MORE! Could we be anymore Norman Rockwell? Well. Yes. By also having a SOAP BOX DERBY!

LoCaL Stu Speer was so excited to see this sanctioned event come to Susanville, he raced Soap Box in 1977. For him it was family tradition. His Uncle raced in 1938-1939 when the sport had only begun in 1934. Stu's older brother raced in '70-'71. Stu still has his original license, patch and a whole lot of great childhood memories. Back then when he ordered a kit all he received were blueprints, cable, screws and axle. There were several ways you could design your car, all the kids would talk about was racing, good thing because as Stu points out there was no Google, your info came from word of mouth. He hopes other kids have the great father/son experience he had.

                                 
I had the BeSt time talking to Kristen, Susan, and Theresa. Listening to stories of mimeographs, DOS, hand sewing and hand painting banners back in the day. These are women I admire, they are completely approachable and so kind. I appreciate their hard work and commitment to making our town a great place to visit and live.




Good luck to all the racers! Thanks to all that made this event possible! My Hometown is so stinking cool!

*Green Grocerette tip of the week~ Our Baker Richard taught me to soften refrigerated Butter only takes 9 seconds in the microwave. It works!*