Looking back at Celebrating Easter - Polish Style!

A few weeks ago we asked our readers, as well as our customers with of our business The Polish Farmers, for their favorite Easter Memories. Unfortunately, we didn't get much of a response. My favorite Easter memories not only include exploring the Easter basket I received from my parents, but the basket I received annually from my grandmother, Stella (Zwolinski) Schalata. While her annual basket was quite predictable, it was something I looked forward to receiving. She carefully chose the right items that were to make up the basket. The normal line-up of Easter goodies included: a large hollow chocolate egg filled with Hershey kisses, a coconut filled egg, the standard marshmallow peeps, a large molded chocolate bunny, and assortment of jelly beans, and of course a couple of dyed hard-boiled eggs. Naturally, my sister and I always had a new outfit and shoes for church on Easter Sunday. My father, usually made his famous kielbasi scrambled in eggs for breakfast. Easter dinner always had a large baked ham that my mom made. Traditionally, in a Polish Catholic Church, an Easter Sunrise Mass is celebrated. There is a procession with the priest, and other members of the parish that circles the inside of the church. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus is celebrated in a grand way. Naturally, Holy Week involves several religious traditions comprising of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. In our family, my father made it a tradition to visit various churches in our hometown on Holy Thursday. We would visit other Catholic parishes, not just our own. I am not sure why, but that was my father's own tradition. From Palm Sunday to Stations of the Cross, and Easter Egg Hunts, the Easter Season is filled with wonderful traditions that remind us of the importance of our religious beliefs. If you have memories you'd like to share, it's not too late. We'd still like to hear from you. If we publish your story we will still send a gift certificate for the best entry we receive. The gift certificate will be good for some of our great products offered by The Polish Farmers. Email your entry to: tom@thepolishfarmers.com. Thanks, and best wishes for a Joyous Easter and a Happy Spring! Tom & Donna Schalata

Looking for your Easter Memories

It's easy to look back on your Christmas memories, but we're looking for your favorite Easter memories. Perhaps, you always looked forward to dyeing Easter eggs. Watching your mom set out bowls of various colors of dye. Waiting for the eggs to boil. The pungent smell of vinegar in the air! How about it? Don't you remember those days? There's the Easter Egg hunts around the yard or visiting the Easter Bunny at a local department store or at the mall. We are sure you have something to look back on. Even shopping for new clothes to wear to church on Easter morning. Whatever your favorite memories are of this Springtime ritual, we'd like to hear it. We will share your story right here on our blog for all to enjoy, and if your story is the best of the best, we send you a $25 gift certificate for our delicious pierogies, etc. Put your thinking caps on and get busy. Jot down your story and email to: tom@thepolishfarmers.com. Thanks a lot, and have a great Easter! Tom & Donna

New Year...New Newsletter

As we enter the new year of 2013, we energized to try new things here at The Polish Farmers. We are not letting the unlucky # 13 hold us back. The year 2012 was a great year, and gave us a lot of great new experiences, and we are looking to build on those new experiences to take us to the next level. Hopefully, you are on our mailing list, and at 11 AM EST on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, the first edition of The Polish Farmers Newsletter hits the in-box of 173 members of our friends and family. If you didn't receive a copy, we may not have your email address. Pass it on to us and we'll make sure you get one. Now, for the purpose of our newsletter. First, and foremost, it is designed to stay in contact with our friends and customers, and keep them informed with what's going on with us. Secondly, it is designed to be informative, entertaining and economical. Informative, we will pass on some great recipes and menu ideas, as well as, tell you about interesting cultural traditions, etc. Entertaining, we will pass on fun things, like in this issue, "How did the famous Buffalo Wings come to be..." Or in a future issue, "What is your favorite Easter memory?" Economical... Special savings on pierogies, packages and other great values! We hope that whenever we pop into your In-Box we are a welcome surprise. Something you look forward to getting. If you have a friend or relative or co-worker who you think may enjoy getting our newsletter, forward a copy to them, or ask if they would like to be included on our list. Thanks for your support. We look forward to your feedback. Tom & Donna Schalata