There are some indulgences that are better left unshared. That’s right. Sometimes it’s perfectly okay not to share. Parents, best friends, and co-workers take note.
Mind you, we love sharing. We know how enjoyable it is to introduce the people we care about to new and special finds. The more obscure and harder to source, the better. In fact, as much as 40% of our online sales are gifts sent from fans who are sharing in the smartest way possible—in a way that doesn’t risk depleting their personal stash of goodies.
The statement isn’t go get your own. It’s far kinder than that. It's “Please do not be unreasonable and diminish my personal supply. Allow me to help you. And once you receive my gift, you’d be wise to emulate my behavior. Trust me.”
Our customers tell us this all the time. They hoard caramels in corners of the fridge, in the back of a cupboard, in desk drawers at the office, in their sock drawer, or even in their purse when they dare not let it leave their side (i.e., when they have kids). Some have even been known to use misinformation or even feign being hard of hearing when asked the whereabouts of the caramels in their home. This is serious business.
We share this blog because some of you may have secretly considered hoarding, but have felt too guilty to deny loved ones.
Do not feel guilty.
If you do make that leap to creating your own secret stash of caramels, consider that it’s better to feel those pangs of guilt rather than the heartbreak, frustration and hostility (yes, hostility) that often accompanies finding an empty box at exactly the moment you were hoping for so much more.
Please know it's perfectly okay. Who knows? You may even be saving a relationship.
]]>May means we are now officially in farmers market season. It's now time to spend Saturday mornings in those bustling parking lots and open fields surrounded by people wheeling their burlap bags overflowing with local produce and prepared foods, along with that little spring in their step that could only come from the rhythms of lively local musicians. (There's a lot more to local than food.) The old-fashioned way to shop is back in a big way in the 21st century. It's about the food, but it's food mixed in with tasty samplings, mingling with neighbors, and generally relaxing at this new ritual weekend destination.
With the inevitable back and forth between customer and small business owner, it all takes a bit longer, but nobody seems to mind. No one is in a hurry because this is the antithesis of one-stop shopping. It's nice getting to know the people who feed your family. That's how Manhattan chef and restaurateur Robert Arbor described the marché ritual in his native France. When you think of it that way, a farmers market is a very personal experience, fueled by invisible ingredients like goodwill, trust, and a healthy dose of culinary curiosity. People want to feel good about what they're eating and where they're shopping.
Why do we, as a micro-confectioner, participate in farmers markets? First and foremost, La Petite Occasion is a farmers market product. The ingredients that go into our caramels and toffees are found in farmers markets in the Hudson Valley. Our butter comes from Kriemhild Dairy in Hamilton. Our heavy cream is from Hudson Valley Fresh, a co-op in Poughkeepsie. Farmers markets are a natural fit for us, but they are rewarding to small businesses like ours for many reasons:
The best reason of all though, is a purely emotional one—there's something glorious about being at most any market this time of year. It's not summer yet, so it's still cool out. Winter isn't forgotten yet. People are still feeling a little eager to be out in the sun. And there you are, surrounded by the luscious bounty of the earth, while heavenly aromas fill the air along with sweet folk music from the mouths of young, earnest talent eager to share their gifts. No matter what may be weighing on your mind at that moment, you get a feeling that there are good things to come. Yes, the farmers market is here to stay.
]]> We do it because we want to show we care. We do it because we’ve always done it. We do it because everyone does it. If you’re like most people, you don’t think about Valentine’s Day beyond the task of doing what’s expected of us. There are people we love in our lives, and we’re happy to show it.
As a country, we don’t disappoint either: Sales of this year’s chocolates, cards and related “romantica” are projected to amount to over $20 billion in the US alone. Exactly why we all do this year after year is a question that surprisingly few can answer. So we spend tens of billions on a single day, year after year, for reasons almost no one can explain. Sounds like all the hallmarks (pun intended) of a blog to me.
Valentine’s Day has its origins in courtly love, of course. There is a St. Valentine of Rome. In fact, there were at least three saints named Valentine or Valentinus who were once recognized by the Catholic Church. Nobody knows if they’re the same person, so today there’s just one Roman priest from the 3rd century who gets the nod.
There are several accounts of his requisite martyrdom, most of which have love figuring prominently. One account is based on Emperor Claudius Gothicus (aka Claudius II) outlawing marriage so that the empire could have more eligible, unattached, young warriors. A maverick and Roman priest, Valentine refused to stop joining couples in matrimony, which led him to pay the ultimate price outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14th, most likely in the year 269.
Claudius II had a real problem with St. Valentine’s faith, so another account has him imprisoning Valentine after refusing to renounce his religion. Legend has it that while in prison, he healed the jailor’s blind daughter. On the day of his execution, he wrote the young girl a card signed with the now-familiar words: “Your Valentine.”
Many believe the struggle between Christianity and competing practices may also account for the selection of mid-February for the day of lovers. This was when Rome traditionally celebrated Lupercalia, a fertility ritual lasting several days where men would sacrifice a goat and dog over three days of men and women engaging in drunken debauchery. Pope Gelasius I, who reigned at the very end of the 5th century, gets the credit for scheduling Valentine’s Day in February to overshadow and, ultimately, replace Lupercalia.
Lupercalia may be long gone, but it can feel like some of the madness of that pagan ritual lives on at flower stands, malls, convenience stores, and anywhere fatigued, dutiful shoppers converge on the evening of February 14th. The fear of showing up empty-handed is palpable. We’ve all been there. The good news is that gestures come in all sizes, including reading a blog and learning a bit about this special day, then sharing that knowledge with someone you care about over dinner.
Happy Valentine’s Day to our friends, our family, and our fans. We love you more than you know.