Congratulations to the Appleseed Employees of the Month:
Gardner: Jameson Walls & Dennis Savalier
Leominster: Danita Num & Zachary Lang
Appleseed Personnel participated in the Leominster Summer Stroll held downtown on June 23rd. Appleseed co-sponsored the band TOUCHED in the parking lot of Joseph's Jewelers. Appleseed also sponsored a Coloring Contest under the tent and the winner was Ameelynn Fors who won a trip to Davis Farmland with her family.
Article of interest from FACTS, FIGURES & THE FUTURE 5/07
GRILLING SEASON TOP $2b IN CLASSIC FARE
It's time again! Dad dusted off his Kiss The Cook apron with ardor for his perennial summer fling :the outdoor grill.
As predictably as springtime rains and summer sun beckons men to their backyards, Dad's ready to grill again-a winter of meat and fish on the electric Foreman doesn't quite satisfy the same way. His enthusiasm stoked by Food Network shows, grilling competitions, and just plain missing high-heat food, are signs he'll be buying the classic fare at a high rate this season beginning Memorial Day: burgers, hot dogs, condiments and buns.
It seems to matter little what people cook on - from modest charcoal grills to five-figure Vikings with TVs and refrigerators - or what else they cook - Angus beef, exotic seafoods, or ribs with signatures sauces - the grill food of our youth continues to hold its popularity.
The highest-index four-week periods for grill food sales occur in late spring and early summer, before subsiding through Labor Day, where they plateau above year-round levels, according to data from The Nielson Company for total US sales in food, drug and mass merchandiser stores over the past three years.
Though only nominal gains appear for most of the 11 categories of prepackaged, UPC-coded grill food, charcoal and lighters grouped and tracked by Nielson, the seasonal grilling occasion did exceed $2B in sales in 2006 - not counting beverages, chips, paper goods or other related categories.
The two protein pillars of grilling - frozen ground beef patties and refrigerated frankfurters - showed opposing trends from 2004 to 2006. Whereas sales of patties rose from $141 million between mid-May and mid-September 2004 to $158 million in the same period of 2006, frankfurter sale declined from $640 million to $624 million during the same time frame. The rise in patties nearly equaled the drop in hot dog sales, but some grillers might have migrated to bratwurst and knockwurst (which posted $128 million in 2004 seasonal sales and $125 million in 2006 seasonal sales), or simply curtailed their consumption of processed meats in favor of other foods.
Patties sales were the most concentrated of the 11 categories in 2006: 51 percent of sales were rung up during the grilling season, compared to 40 percent of frankfurters, 48 percent of bratwurst and knockwurst, 47 percent of charcoal, and 42 percent of fresh bakery buns, to name a few. The lowest concentrations were in condiments: 33 percent catsup, 35 percent mustard, 38 percent hot dog sauce and 38 percent relishes.
Fresh bakery buns were the second largest grill season component in 2006 at $506 million, up from $467 million during the warm months of 2004. Although data doesn't distinguish between sales of hot dog and hamburger buns, it indicates that a dog on a roll is still king of the grill.
BBQ Summer Recipe: Hawaiian Grilled Chicken
1/2 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced lemon juice Crushed chili pepper 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
Combine the marinade ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Cool and use to marinate the chicken over night. Grill the chicken over medium heat until it's thoroughly cooked. Serve with grilled fresh pineapple slices.
Message from Mount Wachusett:
Did you or anyone you know attend Mount Wachusett Community College? I’d love to hear from you!
Contact me for the latest information on alumni affairs and ask to be added to the mailing list. Also, visit the alumni website for alumni news, announcements and more. www.mwcc.edu/alumni.
Carol A. Cullins (class of 2000) Director of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving Mount Wachusett Community College 444 Green Street Gardner, MA 01440 (978) 630-9594 ccullins@mwcc.mass.edu