"Goin' Downey Ocean, Hon?"

Some of you stopped by today to pick up some goodies as you were making an early get-away for Memorial Day 2009. We expect most of you will be heading out after work on Friday. We hope you'll also stop by to load up a "bag of yum" to help you through your weekend on the beach. In fact, here are a few meal ideas to make Summer 2009 start off relaxing and fun!

Breakfast
Our favorite breakfast is French Toast made with Challah. Be sure to add a little vanilla and cinnamon to it to fill your kitchen with that warm comforting aroma. If you want something fast so you can hit the beach early, pick up a bag of Groovy Granola or Cranberry Almond Instant Oatmeal. Whether eaten alone or with a cup of yogurt, both these items will fill you with a ton of energy to keep you going all morning.

Lunch
The weather is supposed to be fantastic this weekend. Mild temperatures and lots of sun. Why waste a minute of it by going inside. Pack a picnic. Pick up a loaf of bread, maybe Honey Whole Wheat, a jar of Naturally Nutty Almond Butter, a jar of American Spoon Fruit Butter or some of our delicious Farmer's Market Cream Cheese Spread, throw some sandwiches together, pack a cooler and you can stay out all day!

Dinner
At some point you may have to head back in and firing up the grill is the best reason we can see to leave the beach. We have some fantastic savory sauces from Stonewall Kitchen that you can add to your chicken, beef, fish or pork marinades. Just 1/4 cup added to white wine and some spices will be sure to impress everyone at your table. We'll be trying out some more Hardcrusted Breads on Friday. Grab a loaf (any variety will do) slice it, brush it with some of our Pino Dipping Oil and grill for 2 or 3 minutes. It's a great way to make a great summer version of garlic bread. And please don't forget the Chocolate Brownie Bread for dessert. Add a scoop of ice cream, some hot fudge and whipped cream and you will enjoy a little bit of heaven in a bowl.

If you really can't wait to savor the flavors of the beach, let us make you our newest sandwich, Eastern Shore Salad. With a variety of seafood, old bay seasoning and a light compliment of mayo, you will hear the waves lapping up against your feet as you take your first bite.

As you can see, there are many reasons for you to make Great Harvest your last stop before you head over the bridge and leave Central Maryland behind for a few days.

Your friends at the Great Harvest in Columbia.
http://greatharvestcolumbia.com

Thanks for Sharing in the FUN!!

We want to thank all of you who joined us at Wine in the Woods this weekend. We had so much fun and we are so glad you came to try all our yummy treats. There are plenty more at the store so please, stop by this week.

Top your Toast with Something New

Looking for something to add a little pizazz to your breakfast routine? Have we got something for you! Come in and try our American Spoon Fruit Butters. A staff favorite is the Strawberry Butter. It tastes so fresh and delightful. If you like more adventure, you may want to try the Pear Ginger Butter. It has a wild gingery POP that will fill your mouth with its intense flavor. Other flavors are Pumpkin, Cherry and that fruit butter classic, Apple. In addition to a great topper for our breads, you can add 2 TBSP of any of the butters to your marinade for an exciting addition to your Memorial Day barbecue. Hurry in and try them soon. They're going fast!

Summer is Here

We can't believe that summer is here! We have so many fun ideas for your family for healthy, fast, summer meals. Stay tuned to this space where we will feature some of our favorite ways to make a meal adventure using all the fabulous offerings from the Great Harvest.

http://greatharvestcolumbia.com

Wine in the Woods Prep

We are up to our elbows in dough today as we prepare for a weekend of fun at Wine in the Woods. We will have many sweet and savory treats for you to enjoy as you wander Symphony Woods enjoying the music, arts and crafts and of course, the wine. Here are some pictures of us as we prepare for the busy weekend.

Here are Paul and Jane cutting dough for Pepperoni Rolls and Ham and Cheese Grab and Go sandwiches.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread cooling on a rack.

Dakota Bread proofing on a rack before it goes in the oven.

We will have all our regular offerings today and tomorrow. Remember, today we will also have Sourdough. We hope you'll come by and say hello!

Your friends at the Great Harvest in Columbia.

http://greatharvestcolumbia.com/

Wine in the Woods This Weekend

We are thrilled to be heading back to Wine in the Woods this weekend, in Symphony Woods in the heart of Columbia. We will be in Artisan Booth 11 and can't wait to see you there. We'll have lots of delicious treats for you to enjoy with your wine, including Cheddar Garlic, Dakota, Challah, Whole Wheat and more. We can't wait to see you there, rain or shine.

Hard Crust Update
We'll be making more hard crusted breads again today, including Ciabbata, Whole Grain and Whole Grain with Raisins and Walnuts. Remember, we are trying out the recipes and perfecting the art of baking hard crusted breads during May. The breads will make their official debut in June.

We hope to see you soon. Your friends at the Great Harvest in Columbia.
http://greatharvestcolumbia.com

We'd Like to Thank the Academy

We have been so happy to see so many new guests at our bakery. It fills us with joy to be able to share our fine, whole grain breads, tasty sweets and other goodies with our newbies. Evidently, we've been doing a pretty good job of it. Great Harvest has awarded us with the Top Young Bakery Award for 2008. Come in and see our award. And thank you for your love of our bread. We couldn't have received this recognition without YOU!!!

It looks like the rain has finally stopped here in Columbia. It's going to be a beautiful week. We have extra tables outside and we would love to have you come get a cup of coffee and a scone to enjoy outside. Or come enjoy one of our yummy sandwiches, like Louisville Chicken Salad made with chunks of white meat chicken and bits of spicy pecans. If you prefer something with a fresh spring flavor, how about a Power House? We hand select our tomatoes and slice them by hand. They are joined by muenster cheese, spicy Dijon mustard, seasoned mayo, lettuce and sprouts. May we recommend a few slices of cucumber to really add a lovely fresh, spring taste?

Whatever your cravings for baked treats are, we hope you will visit us soon!

Your friends at the Great Harvest in Columbia.

http://greatharvestcolumbia.com/

Let the Crunching Begin!

This week, we have begun experimenting with hard crusted breads, and boy, are we having fun! We have tried our hand at many different varieties like Sourdough, Sourdough with cheddar and jalapeno, Sourdough with parmesan, Whole grain sourbough, Ciabbata and Baguette. Some of you have been lucky enough to arrive at the bakery in time to get one of these wonderful treats as the have come out of the oven. Throughout the month of May we will be honing the art of baking hard crusted breads. These breads will not be on the menu but will still be available to purchase. Beginning in June, they will be on our regular bread schedule. Please come and try some today.

Three Days til Mother's Day

Only 3 days left until Mother's Day! Don't panic! We got in a huge shipment of pottery by one of our favorite local artists. We have mugs, bowls, cream and sugar sets and the most adorable little bud vases you have ever laid eyes on. And we mustn't forget all the bread options for Mom's breakfast in bed. Come pick up a loaf of Challah, Cinnamon Chip or Cinnamon Swirl to use in your French Toast Casserole. We have the recipe for you and Mom will be thrilled.

We hope to see you soon! Your friends at the Great Harvest in Columbia.

http://greatharvestcolumbia.com

Welcome May!

April showers did seem never-ending and now May will be full of many beautiful "flours!" Back by popular demand this month are Apple Crunch, Columbia Crunch, Asiago Pesto, and American Rye. Sticking around for an encore are Spinach Feta bread, Cheddar Bacon Muffins and Pineapple Coconut Scones. New this month are Apple Puffs, and some yummy butter spreads. And the winner of the email sign up is....Jeff Burt, congrats. Please come in any time during the month of May to receive your gift card.We thank you for your patronage especially during the Easter season. Please continue to tell your friends and neighbors about us; we meet people every week that don't know about Great Harvest Breads. We appreciate your continued support.

May is for Mom
We know you would never forget Mom, but in case you don't know, Mother's Day in Sunday, May 10th. We have so many yummy things for you to include in a delicious brunch for Mom. Come in and pick up a loaf of Cinnamon Chip bread on Saturday for French Toast or our delightful White Chocolate Fruit Swirl Bread; a great treat to accompany an omelet or frittata. We will also have our yummy Chocolate Brownie Bread in heart shaped pans. These make great gifts for the kids to give mom. Call ahead to have us set these aside because they go fast!

Once again this year, we want to celebrate your "bun in the oven." Expectant mothers can visit us between May 5 and May 9 and we will give you a free loaf of Honey Whole Wheat bread.

If you prefer to honor Mom with "Cook-out Sunday," we have some great things to add to your grill. Place some thick slices of Cheddar Garlic (available on Saturdays in May) brushed in olive oil on the grill for a few minutes for an exciting summer version of garlic bread. Have you tried the wonderful savory Stonewall Kitchen sauces? The Sesame Ginger Terriyaki sauce is a great add-in to ground turkey for a turkey burger with an Asian flair. Serve some mini-burgers on our Challah rolls. If mom likes it spicy, try the Peach Mango Hot Sauce in your marinade. We have other varieties to choose some. Come in and check them all out.

Wine in the Woods
On May 16th and 17th, we will once again be at Wine in the Woods, in Symphony Woods in downtown Columbia. We hope you'll visit us and try all the delightful treats we'll have to go with all the wine. We'll have "grab and go" sandwiches, brownies, Blondie's, baguettes, giant cookies, apple puffs and more! We hope to see you there.

Your Friends at Great Harvest in Columbia
http://greatharvestcolumbia.com