Happy Thanksgiving!

We will, of course, be closed on Thursday, to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family and friends.  We won't be opening in the cold, dark dawn at 4 AM on Friday for a so-called "black Friday" (our usual, 9:30 opening will be just fine).  There will be no crush and crunch as people push and shove for the latest electronic device, or general rudeness that pervades the parking lots in the malls.  That is not the Clever Girl way.
  What you will find, the day after Thanksgiving, is a lovely store filled with wonderful merchandise, and a sales team that actually wants to help you.  We are happy to box and label your gifts.  We're glad to assist and answer questions.  That's what shopping locally is all about.

While nothing beats my Mom's cranberry sauce, this is one that I tried last year, and really liked.  Julie Russo, co-author of The Silver Pallet Cookbook, was a lovely customer of ours when we had our store in Saugatuck, Michigan.  This is her version...
Ingredients
4 cups (about 1 pound) fresh cranberries, picked over
2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 slightly under-ripe pears, cored, peeled and cut into 1/3- inch dice 
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and stir well. Place pan over medium heat and boil until berries pop open, about 10 minutes. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and let the relish cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 months. Makes 10 servings.

Wishing you and your families a 
happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

On another note:

Now that the Christmas merchandise is out, I have been working on the Sisyphean task of cleaning the stockroom.  This probably means nothing to you all, however, as a result, a few items have joined the sale rack, so you might want to give it the once-over on your next visit.