We are so happy to see the first daffodils and pretty pansies, and to get our first deliveries of spring onions. It's been a long winter here in New Haven Connecticut, so we are especially grateful to welcome spring.
During the winter months we took on some fun projects. We remodeled our bathrooms and they are really lovely. One customer even commented that "The bathroom is nicer than my dining room." Very sweet, but I hope he didn't mention that to his wife who was waiting for him at their table:-) As a tribute to our beloved organic farmers we commissioned an artist, Holly to paint farm scenes on the soffet that borders our ceilings, and soon, we will add two tables from City Bench, the fine and extraordinarily talented brothers who designed and built our stand up bars. These new tables will also be made of reclaimed wood from New Haven. More details to follow.
Final proofreading has been completed for our new menus and Erin should have them installed within a couple of weeks. We hope you like our additions. Please come taste.
Also, we have read many times about the amount of water it takes to grow just one almond - 1-1 1/2 gallons - Eeeks! And, given that most of our almonds here are grown in draught prone California, we've decided to switch from Almond milk to Oat milk for our smoothies, baking, etc.
We will continue to seek out ways to be kind to our one and only Mother Earth, and as we find ways, you can be sure we will respond. We are after all, in this together! And, we like it that way.
Everyone here at Claire's Corner Copia wishes you a healthy and happy Spring.
Peace,
Claire
Happy New Year dear Community!
Although we are always happy to see a new year with new possibilities, 2016 was a pretty good year for us, too. Thanks to our beloved staff, community, and partners we enjoyed access to great ingredients which we believe is the foundation of real food. And, that’s why we’re here.
For us, this means buying as many organic ingredients as we can. You, my friends, our children, and this world of ours deserve to have clean food, free of herbicides and fungicides. And, studies consistently prove that this is best for us and for our environment.
We learned that hibiscus and turmeric have such powerful antioxidants so we found lots of delicious ways to add them to your food and drinks here at Claire’s Corner Copia. They are often found in our smoothies, our Sick Girls Tea, and savory dishes. And, Hibiscus Lemonade is a big hit, too!
And, fresh turmeric is often combined with fresh ginger, another wonderful antioxidant in our drinks and curries. We even use them to color our frostings for cupcakes!
We’ll be introducing a few other super healthy ingredients to your foods and drinks this year, too. As they say, Stay Tuned:-)
Getting old, as you know, requires a bit of maintenance. We bought a new stove and ovens this year, and replaced all of our ceiling lighting with new fixtures with LED lights so it’s wonderfully bright and very energy efficient.
We also remodeled our handicapped access bathroom and our second bathroom is getting a remodel, too. We love it and hope you do, too.
Soon, we’ll have our new, energy efficient deli case, too. Our old one had a good run, but we are in our 42nd year after all so it was time to invest in a new model. On to the future!
2017 will also bring some menu changes on our in house menus and our catering menus as well. We should have them finished and ready for you by the end of February.
Our staff are the foundation of our beloved little place and I remain incredibly grateful to each of them. Thank you!
We could not conduct business without your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You, your smiles, your over the top kindness - even when we mess up, which we do, because we’re good, but we’re humans:-) make this very hard work remain joyful for us. We love that we can help you to eat and enjoy real food, in hopes that we can have a healthier world. Our partners at Yale Properties, The city of New Haven, our NH and Yale Police and Firefighters help and protect us every single day. Thank you.
We continue to look for ways to help others who need the help. Cancer research, access to real food for those without it, and lifting children from poverty remain our focus. We won’t stop until cancer is no longer a threat to our health, and wholesome food is available to everyone in our city, and that every child in our city has the best possible chance at happiness. We’ll continue to raise and donate funds to programs that will one day make our collective dreams come true, and to share information that encourages others to make good choices when they eat.
I wish you all a wonderfully happy, healthy 2017!
Peace,
Claire